# Khuli Loach feeding tips anyone?



## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Does anyone have any tips for making sure their more reluctant and nocturnal tank critters get enough food?

My khuli loaches, true to form, are nocturnal, and will hide under something until it's completely dark in the room. They are quite active at night. 

I put one quarter part of a plastic drinking cup in the corner of one of the tanks to make a "khuli cave" where from time to time, I can observe them during the day. They like burying themselves even more than being in the cave, although given the choice between sand and wedging themselves under a seashell they seem to select the seashell most of the time.

I have experimented with fragments of a sinking-food-disc (meant for algae eaters), and and blood worms, regular flakes and veggie flakes, into their "khuli cave", and under their favourite small seashells, and yet my khuli loaches which are 2" long after 2 months at home have hardly grown at all. I'm sure they're starving, unless they're full grown pygmy khuli loaches, or their growth is now permanently stunted due to lack of availability of food. They were "on special" at the really big fish place, and I wonder if that was because they were particularly low quality specimins. 

I have observed them happily munching blood worms and foraging in the gravel for leftover flake food but not sure what they really want or need in their diet.

I attempted to hatch brine shrimp to feed all my smaller fishies, but the attempt (following the directions on the bottle) failed to do anything but raise a stench after 24, 48, or even 72 hours. I followed the PH, temperature, and salinity recommendations on the bottle. Perhaps a bad batch of sea monkey eggs? 


Warren


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Try a sinking pellet or disc that is more protein based. I am sure they are taking some food to remain active at night, 2 months is a long time (even for a fish) to go without any food.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=618

here is a great article for your reading enjoyment and some feeding tips.


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## duffgrot (Jul 4, 2008)

I've kept Khuli loaches on and off for about 15 years and I've never had one grow over 3 inches, and those are the black variety, which in my experience grow larger than the stripped ones. One tank I currently have is a 15 gallon tank with 7 Khuli's and 7 otocinclus and everyone is happy eating and foraging on their own. I'm feeding Nutrifin Max sinking pellets and Nutrifin Max flake food, and all the khuli's are healthy and robust, most no longer than 2 1/2 inches. Maybe I'm feeding them the wrong stuff but they are happy and healthy.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I've had a few kuhlis in my time, and I've never had one get very large. I had one for maybe 5 -7 years that got up to the venerable size of 2.5 inches, but not much bigger. Chances are that they're getting plenty to eat. Just feed at lights out, and I'm sure they'll figure out the rest.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Mine are hysterical, I swear they believe they are pleco's. I keep mine with veggie loving fish so I usually clip or blanced veggies on one side of the tank & drop in food for the loaches on the other side of the tank. If have zuchinni in the tank the kuhli's are all over it and can usually be found body checking the pleco's out of the way for it. My clown loaches do exactly the same as well.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Cool! Thanks for the good idea. I've been meaning to do the zuchini thing with my one pleco-tank, I'll try it in the clown loach/kuhli-loach tank too.

W


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## duffgrot (Jul 4, 2008)

I've never had much success with veggies and khulis. I've tried SFB frozen emerald entry, green seaweed, zucchini, kale, romaine and they don't seem to like any of it. In my experience mine seem to be much more carnivorous; enjoying high protein sinking pellets, frozen brine shrimp and frozen blood worms. I made the mistake of giving them shrimp pellets a long time ago, because I thought the high protein would be good for them, but for some reason they ended up going on a hunger strike.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

A picture says a thousand words, my clown loaches above munching on zuchinni spears. Its blurry because they are so zippy. There's actually a poor plec in there get getting shoved around.

I prefer to feed my fish a mixed diet rather and they are healthy & thriving because of it, mixed with other factors of course. My clowns have doubled in size over a year. My loaches love their greens just as much as they do their carnivore pellets, I know I'd much rather eat fresh food then something that's processed but that's just my opinion.


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## duffgrot (Jul 4, 2008)

Maybe I'm not leaving the zucchini in the tank long enough so becomes soft enough for the kuhli loaches to eat. I see from katalyst's photo she has clown loaches eating veg. Has anyone ever had kuhlis vegging out? I might try and get mine on a more balanced diet. It's not too hard for me to see what they're eating as they have been acclimatized to forage during the day, when I can view them.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

duffgrot said:


> Maybe I'm not leaving the zucchini in the tank long enough so becomes soft enough for the kuhli loaches to eat. I see from katalyst's photo she has clown loaches eating veg. Has anyone ever had kuhlis vegging out? I might try and get mine on a more balanced diet. It's not too hard for me to see what they're eating as they have been acclimatized to forage during the day, when I can view them.


Maybe that's the thing, I blanch mine before it goes in the tank. Or maybe my fish are just weirdo's.


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## duffgrot (Jul 4, 2008)

I caved and added some zucchini the other night. I put it on a clip and attached it to the glass so it was right at the bottom of the tank. Not only have my kuhlis not touched it but my otos haven't either which is a shock. I have seen otos devour zucchini at my local fish store before so I was shocked that everyone completely ignored it. I'm hypothesizing that if a fish is not used to the food in its diet, it will ignore it.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Usually when you start on a new food, fish can be sow to take to it, especially vegetables. Give them a few tries and they should get the message.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

I had a chocolate khuli in with my Jacks for more many months. It must have gotten something to eat.... Moved it in with my baby Labs though....it's more their size. The plecos and CAEs love the zuchinni, but I haven't seen the loach go for it....maybe it has in the night though.


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