# Freshwater newbie wants advice on Khuli Loaches, and Plants



## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I have a 20g heated 78F tank with about 10 very small (1" to 1.5" fish). How many fish should one have, maximum in such a tank? (Heated, simple carbon filter, gravel). I have a Gibbicaps placo, the world's cutest Curvicepts, two honey Gouramis, two platys and three balloon mollies, and two Khuli Loaches, down from 8 that I originally had. I like the Curvicepts and the Khuli Loaches the best. They're long and striped, like snakes. They're hilarious looking, and I love how when you have a bunch of them, they kind of wriggle into a pile together.

I had eight khuli loaches. Six died in the first three weeks of owning them. The aquarium store (BigAls) said that they are scavengers but they need some blood worms. So I've been feeding the usual tropical flakes for the whole tank, but supplementing with blood worms 2 or 3 times a week. I know I'm over feeding because there's too much food in the bottom of my tank. I wonder if that is what killed my Khuli Loaches. You see I was worrying that they don't eat anything. They're nocturnal, and I've tried to observe them at various times of the night and I hardly ever see them active. The two that survived seem to have found food (waste like placos) to survive on. I made the Khuli Loaches a cave and placed the bloodworms in the cave where only the khulis can access them.

My dad suggested Cabomba as a plant. I couldn't find any so I bought a pretty wispy plant called Cardamine Lyrata. It is not thriving. I did a little checking and apparently 78F might be too warm for that plant so I moved it to a coldwater tank to see if it recovers from its currently yellowed and dying look. Or should I have just fed it something? I haven't bought any plant food yet.

Any advice for (a) keeping my remaining two Khuli Loaches alive? I realize they're kind of not big fans of bright lights, so I thought the cave idea was good (b) plants and (c) should I be putting a little salt in?

I'm expecting someone to tell me I need a 500g tank to keep my 10 little fishies in. Seriously though. I've just been reading the forums a lot, and it seems that it's always "go big or go home".  

Warren


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> I have a 20g heated 78F tank with about 10 very small (1" to 1.5" fish). How many fish should one have, maximum in such a tank? (Heated, simple carbon filter, gravel). I have a Gibbicaps placo, the world's cutest Curvicepts, two honey Gouramis, two platys and three balloon mollies, and two Khuli Loaches, down from 8 that I originally had. I like the Curvicepts and the Khuli Loaches the best. They're long and striped, like snakes. They're hilarious looking, and I love how when you have a bunch of them, they kind of wriggle into a pile together.
> 
> I had eight khuli loaches. Six died in the first three weeks of owning them. The aquarium store (BigAls) said that they are scavengers but they need some blood worms. So I've been feeding the usual tropical flakes for the whole tank, but supplementing with blood worms 2 or 3 times a week. I know I'm over feeding because there's too much food in the bottom of my tank. I wonder if that is what killed my Khuli Loaches. You see I was worrying that they don't eat anything. They're nocturnal, and I've tried to observe them at various times of the night and I hardly ever see them active. The two that survived seem to have found food (waste like placos) to survive on. I made the Khuli Loaches a cave and placed the bloodworms in the cave where only the khulis can access them.
> 
> ...


No its get stuff thats supposed to go in the 20G or go home.

Gibbiceps has to go. Today. Your tank is rediculously small for that fish, which can be grown from 3 to 8 inches in less than 50 days when properly handled.

Your Kuhli loaches really ought to have more room. I know it seems like such a small fish etc but you should have atleast four feet long for them. Also I suspect you might not be feeding them properly or have enough current or soft substrate for them to dig in.

The Curviceps also would benefit from atleast a 30 gal though odds are it'll begrudgingly be ok. The rest of the fish are fine.

Remove your Kuhlis, Pleco, and ideally the curviceps.

If you can't provide the proper home for a fish, don't have it. Seriously.

If you want a pleco for that small of a tank get a bristlenose or bushynose pleco. They're inexpensive and enjoyable. Make sure you have hiding places and always have a piece of wood for it to chew on.

You want a plant called hornwort. Float this on the surface in the lowest current corner of the tank. This will make the gouramis happy. Piece of nice wood and some rocks on the bottom=happy pleco. Add a couple more mollys or something if you want.

Also please upgrade to an actual filter. Aquaclear 70 at bare minimum.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

*thanks!*

What you're saying makes sense but I can't fit a huge tank like that. I just started a 30 gal tank so I'll move Mr Curvicepts to the bigger tank.

I see the Khuli Loaches always digging. So by soft substrate, do you mean sand, or a finer gravel? I'm using a pretty big decorative rocks type of gravel (1/2" size rocks typical) in my 20g.

I bought a 50 gallon filter for the 29 gallon tank, so that should help. But 70 gallon rated filter for a 20 gallon tank? Whoa? Sure?

Warren


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> What you're saying makes sense but I can't fit a huge tank like that. I just started a 30 gal tank so I'll move Mr Curvicepts to the bigger tank.
> 
> I see the Khuli Loaches always digging. So by soft substrate, do you mean sand, or a finer gravel? I'm using a pretty big decorative rocks type of gravel (1/2" size rocks typical) in my 20g.
> 
> ...


Oh yeah Im sure. Filter ratings are something you must learn to ignore. There are different needs based on your setup/fish choices.

Also as far as fine gravel I mean, ideally, sand. Kuhlis come from sand. They like to bury themselves totally. when they can not this is very upsetting to them.

Putting the curviceps in the 30 should be a good move.

The only fifty gallon filter I can think of ATM is the AC50 formerly the 200.

In my opinion thats barely even adequate to filter a ten gallon properly.

Similarly an Eheim 2215 is rated to something like 90 gallons.

There's no way its going to provide enough flow and oxygen even in a 50 gallon IMO.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

*filters*

The 50 gallon one is an AquaClear.

So if I buy a big one, which one do you recommend?

W


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## Brian (Mar 14, 2006)

You can get AC70 or formerly known as 300 for pretty cheap if you buy them used. 20-25$ - I run them on my 35gals... as Pablo said, the 200/50's should be run on 10's and the minis should be run on like a 5 or a 2.5... lol.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

*shift*

Well, I have some fry in a 1 gallon tank. I can move the "20 gal" one (toy, I know) to the 1 gal, the "50 gal" to the 20 gal tank, and buy a nice one for the 30 gallon. Then I'll be gangsta, like y'all.  But AquaClears are Okay? Not crap?

W


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Brian said:


> You can get AC70 or formerly known as 300 for pretty cheap if you buy them used. 20-25$ - I run them on my 35gals... as Pablo said, the 200/50's should be run on 10's and the minis should be run on like a 5 or a 2.5... lol.


It looks like we actually agree on a great many things


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> Well, I have some fry in a 1 gallon tank. I can move the "20 gal" one (toy, I know) to the 1 gal, the "50 gal" to the 20 gal tank, and buy a nice one for the 30 gallon. Then I'll be gangsta, like y'all.  But AquaClears are Okay? Not crap?
> 
> W


Not gangsta- just proper filtration.

The Aquaclear if used properly is the best filter in its class. Obviously there are better filters. but Aquaclear is better than the penuin/emperor/top fin/whisper/etc so its the best one in its class.

A Corolla is better than a Chevy Aveo- but nobody would say the Corolla is better than the BMW 530i


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

*placo*

Thanks for the advice Pablo. I am trying to follow all of it. I'm not an intentional fish killer, BTW. Just a reformed idiot.

Anyone know where I can get a nice piece of wood for my tank, for my placo? Driftwood?

He's in the 20g right now, but Pablo says he's too big for that tank so I'll move him to the 30g as soon as it's established. But if he's eating well, he's likely to outgrow that 30g tank. I'll trade him with someone for a little placo if so.

With very little of the "gunk" to eat in the new 30g tank, I'm not sure how well he'd fare in a brand new tank that hasn't cycled yet. He's eating a discus algae-eater tablet every two days because there's not enough gunk to keep him happy. I read somewhere that he likes cucumber.

W


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> Thanks for the advice Pablo. I am trying to follow all of it. I'm not an intentional fish killer, BTW. Just a reformed idiot.
> 
> Anyone know where I can get a nice piece of wood for my tank, for my placo? Driftwood?
> 
> ...


A 30 gallon is only humorously slightly larger. IF you dont have atleast a 65, get rid of it.

You just take it to a pet shop and trade it. Menagerie will probably trade you for a bushynose


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