Welcome to today’s care guide on kuhli loaches. Definitely the kuhlest loach around and one of the most popular fish for the planted aquarium. They’re pretty hardy, peaceful and look like little eels!

I’ll cover everything you need to know to successfully keep kuhli loaches at home. They’re one of my absolute favorites, and can live up to a decade if you take good care of them!

Origin

Kuhli loaches (genus: Pangio) come from Java, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and potentially some of the surrounding areas. They live in slow moving rivers, creeks, swamps and peats. Tree cover is important in kuhli loach habitat because it provides shade as well as wood and leaf litter.

Appearance and variety

There are a few different types of kuhli loaches. They all take on the small eel or snake like appearance. Their mouths are lined with a rad set of whiskers/barbels.

The most commonly available kuhli loach is the half banded, Pangio semicincta, which is what I have. They grow to about four inches long.

Another fairly common species is the black kuhli, Pangio oblonga. They’re a little smaller and only grow to about three inches.

There are quite a few other species of kuhli loaches, all fairly similarly sized and shaped with different colors and patterns like the…

Banded

Eel

Golden eel

Calico

Cinnamon

and Malaysian kuhli loach plus more.

Half banded kuhli loaches : *Pangio semicincta*

Behavior

Kuhli loaches are pretty timid by nature. They spend a lot of time hiding together in groups along the bottom of aquariums. In particular, they love to hang out under leaves, rocks, sticks and vegetation - somewhere they can feel sheltered.

Nocturnal by nature, kuhli loaches come out in the evening and early morning mainly, spending a lot of time sifting through the sand with their barbels. You can encourage them to come out during the day by providing them with a lot of hiding spots, and feeding them some tasty foods.

One important behavioral thing to note is that kuhli loaches have a panic button and it’s easy to trigger it. Sticking your hands in the tank for example or doing water changes can cause them to freak out; they swim around the tank frantically.

To the degree that I get worried they will hurt themselves bumping into the glass. If you’ve ever kept kuhlis before, you’ll know what I’m talking about. The longer you have your kuhlis, the more they will adjust to their home and your water change routine. They still spook if I move too quickly around them, but they are fine when I do water changes now… for the most part.

Something else to note about kuhli loach behavior is that they are extremely peaceful and like I’ve already mentioned, pretty timid. They don’t want to be messed with by other fish, and in kind, they don’t want to mess with other fish. I don’t ever see them nipping or bullying each other. They really are one of, if not the most docile aquarium fish I’ve ever kept.

Tank specs

OK, now that you know a little bit about their size, social behavior and shy demeanor, it’s time to cover the perfect tank. They should be in a 20 gallon or 75 liter tank minimum, with a longer tank being the preference. Long tanks are generally preferred for bottom dwellers, because they have larger footprints, which gives them more space to scuttle around.

That being said, it’s not a necessity, this is a 45 gallon tall tank and I have 15 or so kuhli loaches in here. I designed the layout, mainly Kuhli Castle, to accommodate them. If you have a taller tank you can create extra habitat by making it more dynamic. By stacking rocks like this, I’ve created a lot more surface area for them to navigate in and out of compared to what would be available to them by just providing them with a couple stones. Since the plants grow really thick, they will sometimes slither around through the jungle and poke their heads out up at the top.

Although it’s not required, using live plants will create a more comfortable environment for them. Not just with regards to providing hiding spots, but also in terms of creating a natural habitat. When plant debris accumulates, it gives loaches something to forage through as well as all the little microscopic organisms that are associated with live plants that kuhli loaches can snack on.

Technically sand is not essential, but if you’ve made it this far in the article you probably want to provide your loaches with the best home, so get them some soft sand. I would stay away from blasting sand cause of the sharp edges. Use something like play sand or pool filter sand, which is what I have in this tank. Kuhli loaches really feel comfortable in sand, and love to forage through it. It’s so much fun to watch, plus making a timid fish feel at home is the best way to encourage them to come out and live a healthy life.

One last thing - leaves. You can steep some leaves, like you would with some tea or instant ramen, then chuck them in the tank. The steeping is so that they sink in the tank rather than float.

Leaves do have some beneficial properties like lowering pH and possibly providing antimicrobial properties (largely anecdotal evidence). Another pro is that it mimics the natural environment of loaches.

They live in streams that flow through jungles. Naturally lots of leaves fall into the creeks and kuhlis love to hide under them. I don’t see them feeding off the biofilm on leaves the same way shrimp do. The leaves are strictly to provide them with hiding spots and make them feel comfortable. It’s just another thing you can do to improve their habitat.

Water parameters

Water parameters are really important for kuhli loaches, especially when they are young. If you go to the store and buy some tiny little kuhli loaches, they are going to be somewhat sensitive. This is true of most fish, juveniles always require extra attention compared to their adult counterparts. When full grown and accustomed to their tanks, adult kuhli loaches are considered to be quite hardy.

If you ever happen to touch a kuhli loach, you’ll notice that they are very smooth and slimy. They have a slightly different slime coat than most fish. Also, their scales are spaced apart leaving unprotected gaps in between. There are no scales on their heads at all. This can make them susceptible to bacterial and parasitic infections if their parameters are off.

Temp : 74°F - 80°F or 23°C - 27°C

pH : 6 - 7.5

KH : 3-5 DKH

GH : 3-10 DGH

Ammonia : 0
Nitrite : 0
Nitrate : under 20/30

The bald, scaleless head of the kuhli loach, much like my bald head.

Diet

Kuhli loaches are not picky eaters at all. Keep in mind though, if you have just purchased some very young kuhlis, that they have extremely small mouths, which are not designed to rip chunks of food off like sharks. You should be sure to give them foods that either soften up in the water that they can nibble on, or use your fingers to grind up some flake food when you put it in. My kuhlis pretty much eat what my other fish get. I just make sure to feed plenty of extra food every time.

Some things that you can feed them are flakes, frozens, pellets, live foods and blanched veggies like broccoli or zucchini. They definitely show more interest in protein heavy foods compared to broccoli, but that’s something most of us can relate to. Burger or salad? Hmmmmmm….

I’ve run into a lot of people that make the assumption that bottom dwellers are strictly herbivores or detritivores and that really isn’t true. In order to live a long healthy life, kuhli loaches need their protein!

Tank mates

I’ve already mentioned that kuhli loaches are somewhat timid and very docile. Keep that in mind when stocking other fish with them.

You can put in other bottom dwellers, just make sure they are of a similar demeanor. They mix well with Corydoras and other small catfish. It’s not a bad idea to let them be the only bottom dweller in the aquarium either. That’s essentially what I have in this tank, minus this one cory that haven’t been able to catch and move over with my other cories.

Small tank mates like tetras, rasboras, danios and small barbs make excellent roommates for the kuhli loach. Having a school of active fish that don’t mess with them can encourage kuhlis to come out. Those are called dither fish, they basically indicate to shy fish - “Hey, I’m out and about swimming around. No predator has eaten me so it must be safe for you as well”.

Mixing them with larger more aggressive fish like African cichlids, oscars, severums and other similar fish is not a good idea.

Breeding

It is possible to breed kuhli loaches in your aquarium, though it’s quite uncommon for the average aquarist. Females are notably larger than males when carrying eggs and I’ve observed it a few times in my tank. I suspect that the babies get nibbled up, since this is a pretty well stocked tank.

I do have some friends that have had kuhli loaches breed in their tank, and they did nothing out of the ordinary to promote that. Just provided them with a really nice environment and tons of hiding spots.

In order to encourage higher survival rate of offspring, provide rock piles and mossy areas. That might enable the small ones to hide from the larger ones, giving them enough time to grow large enough to join the groups as they mature.

That’s all I got for kuhli loaches. Hopefully you learned something today. If I missed something or you have a question, please let me know in the comments.

Kuhlis are such fun fish. Definitely one of my favorites. Hopefully you are feeling empowered to do right by your kuhlis and enjoy them as much as I do!

Kuhli Loach Care Guide