Kuhli Loaches

[Suess00]

I finally bought 3 baby Kuhli Loaches and they are pretty small two of them less then an inch and extremely thin and the other is little bigger then an inch and good in weight.

They look extremely healthy and their colors are very nice.

I have a question about feeding.

I feed my eel frozen bloodworms and just bought frozen brime shrimp yesterday(have not tried feeding Brime Shrimp to the eel yet)

I know that the Loaches act like a clean up crew but what would be the best food for them and how often should i feed them because they are so small?

Thanks

Chris

[Plecostomus]

I feed mine shrimp pellets, but mine are pretty big. It seems like the eel might eat the kuhli loaches if they are so small. brine shrimp would probably work fine, brine shrimp is the main ingredient in the pellets I feed my loaches.

[Suess00]

When I bought the Kuhli Loaches there were four really small ones and one bigger one (1inch) in a tank full of 6 peac_ock eels and they lady said they were fine since she got them. Also the eels in the LFS were much bigger then mine he is still pretty small prob only 2inch.

I threw some frozen Brimshrimp in the tank my Eel would not eat it at all I seen some Kuhlis come out but the pieces of the brimesrhimp are too big for the two small ones and my 4inch pleco ended up eating most of them.

I threw in some frozen bloodworms so my eel could it and he ate all of it so I dont know what to do right now kind of scared that they will not get the food they need.

[Satyr]

i have black kuhli loaches and i think they are about the same as the ones you have. i had a hard time finding good info on these guys. iv been feeding mine hikari sinking wafers, the ones for cory cats. theyseem to like those. iv also seen them eat blood worms. hope that helps. good luck they are great pets. you might want to consider getting a few more. i have found that the greater the number the more confident they are which leads to them coming out during the day more. i used to have only 2 and i would hardly ever see them. now i have 7 - i think, there are a lot of plant and its hard to tell - and atleast 3 of them regularly are out doing loops on the side of the tank.

[jones57742]

Chris:

Get some sinking shrimp pellets and some sinking algae wafers (preferably those which are substantially spirulina).

Fill up the eel and pleco on their groceries.

Then feed the sinking foods. They will partially dissolve and your loaches should be happy campers.

TR

[Suess00]

Well the last couple of days have been weird.

1st of my Eel does not like Brime Shrimp either do the 3 Kuhli Loaches but thank God for my Pleco vacumm he cleaned up.

2nd My Eel is scared of the 3 Kuhlis which if you combine them he is still twice their size..!?!?!? The 3 kicked him out of his favorite hidding spot

3rd The Kuhlis swim around frantically for no reason mostley the bigger one which is 1inch the other ones which are like a quarter of an inch and maybe half an inch I barley see them...I hope my Eel didnt eat them

4th I have been putting one cube of Bloodworms in the tank and the Eel only eats about half and the remains go to the bottom near where the 3 loaches are hidding and I turn off the lights. Also I put in 2 medium size tablets of Hikari algae wafers which I think they might be eating also.

Any other suggestions of what I should do?

I am kind of concerned that I have not really seen the really small loach you think my Eel could have ate it?

[jones57742]

Originally Posted by Suess00

The 3 kicked him out of his favorite hidding spot
3rd The Kuhlis swim around frantically for no reason

Young loaches are very boisterous and the behavior which you describe I do not believe to be atypical.

They probably did not "kick him out" but he moved to another location to "get away from" the commotion of the loaches.

Originally Posted by Suess00

Any other suggestions of what I should do?

Yes. Monitor the nitrites and ammonia concentrations bi-daily until you are confident that you are not overfeeding.

Originally Posted by Suess00

I am kind of concerned that I have not really seen the really small loach you think my Eel could have ate it?

I am not familiar with eels but many of my young loaches would disappear for several days (my tank is planted with rock and wood caves and holes).

TR