# The missing kuhli loaches were on the java fern hotel



## ghostsword (8 Jul 2010)

I had bought about a year or so ago 4 kuhli loaches, 2 strippy and 2 brown ones. As the tank was changed, more plants added, I stopped seeing them, I thought that they had kaput long time ago and the shrimps had a party on them. 

I was wrong.  

Yesterday I took all plants out, inclusive the Java Fern I got growing on a 2kg piece of wood and was surprised, not only I had the 4 kuhli loaches, but three extra strippy ones had appeared. I didn't know they bred on a community tank.

The tub the fern is on is about 40cm in diameter.

There was also lots of red cherry shrimp on the wood, with some assassin snails. A truly multicultural piece of wood. 

Java Fern on wood:













The kuhli loaches, the adult were very fat, and at least 10cm long:


----------



## Iliveinazoo (8 Jul 2010)

This gives me a shred of hope for my 2 missing Bumblebee Gobies


----------



## sanj (8 Jul 2010)

> I didn't know they bred on a community tank.



I did not think they had either withought injecting hormones. You should post on Loaches online and ask there. They might be pleased to hear your story.


----------



## dw1305 (10 Jul 2010)

Hi all,
I'm pretty sure Sanj is right and they aren't recorded as breeding in a home aquarium.
cheers Darrel


----------



## amy4342 (10 Jul 2010)

That's true - there are no records of them breeding in a home aquaria. I've looked into that subject quite a lot because my Kuhli's bred in my tank also - I had a group of 10 striped adults, which I thought had preished, but found them one day along with 20-30 minatures living in the bottom of my eheim 2126.


----------



## Lisa_Perry75 (10 Jul 2010)

Sorry Amy, but were ALL the Khuli loaches in the filter?!


----------



## amy4342 (10 Jul 2010)

Lol, yup. I've got an Eheim 2126, and at the time time I had the standard green pickup, so I'm guessing they squeezed through the holes in the inlet.


----------



## ghostsword (11 Jul 2010)

dw1305 said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> I'm pretty sure Sanj is right and they aren't recorded as breeding in a home aquarium.
> cheers Darrel




Am I to have the only ones breeding on a tank? No way!


----------



## Ben M (13 Jul 2010)

hi, i'm sure i've heard of them breeding in a community tank before. i was reading up about it on the internet a while ago. i haven't heard of anyone intentionally breeding them, normally they just appear. 

apparently it is really hard without hormones, so well done!!!


----------



## ghostsword (13 Jul 2010)

I wish I knew what I done right.. The small ones just appeared..  I got no fish to eat them, so the parents must have eaten the rest, as I doubt that they would just have a few.


----------



## dw1305 (14 Jul 2010)

Hi all,
Found this: <http://www.loaches.com/articles/breeding-experience-with-pangio-oblonga> and this <http://www.fishchannel.com/freshwater-aquariums/fish-breeding/breeding-kuhli-loach.aspx>, author of the second one is Mike Hellweg, author of the very useful book "culturing live foods".

cheers Darrel


----------



## ghostsword (18 Jul 2010)

I have given a piece of wood with anubias and moss.. I guess that I am not the only one able to hatch Kuhlis.. if they indeed breed that way.



			
				sumitha said:
			
		

> Hi Luis,
> 
> By any chance did you have any egg laying fish in the tank with the Anubias on wood or Riccia you gave me? I've spotted a tiny little hatchling (seems to have completely absorbed its eggsac) bravely swimming around the surface of my new shrimp tank. No idea what it is!
> 
> ...


----------



## mr. luke (27 Jul 2010)

Congratulations on the breeding


----------



## ghostsword (27 Jul 2010)

mr. luke said:
			
		

> Congratulations on the breeding



Thanks, I am waiting on Sumitha to confirm his side, if what he has swiming on his nano is indeed Kuhli's or something else. 

On my tank I have not seen them again. 

The lot will be up for sale in September, when I get a new tank setup and get some fresh water nerites for the tank.


----------



## Cyworld (27 Jul 2010)

congrats on the breeding!
Could it be that the khulis bred to have smth to eat?
Just saying because you said they werent seen at all.


----------



## ghostsword (27 Jul 2010)

Cyworld said:
			
		

> congrats on the breeding!
> Could it be that the khulis bred to have smth to eat?
> Just saying because you said they werent seen at all.



I do drop pelets on the tank at night, as I got shrimp and cory's. Also there are assassin snails, cherry shrimp and some trumpets. They hide all day long on the long piece of wood covered with the Java fern. If all it takes to make them breed is to starve them, not bad..


----------



## PDSimon (29 Jul 2010)

Kuhlis are shy fish in smaller groups and are great at cleaning the tank of any left overs so its not difficult for them to survive...I have 8 and even though they have plenty of places to hide the number of them means they prefer to come out and swim around too.

They're fun to watch feeding because they'll just form a big pile of kuhli loach over the food!


----------



## ghostsword (29 Jul 2010)

I used to see them about, but since the large piece of wood with the java fern went in they just disappeared.  

To catch them is easy now, I just need to lift the java fern from the tank into a container with some tank water and in less then 30 seconds they jump out of the wood. Scared the beejesus out of me when it happened the first time, as the old ones are quite large. 

I would like to keep them, they are very usefull in keeping the snail population down, but I want to breed freshwater nerites, and they would gobble up any small nails.


----------

