Questions about kuhlis!

[Lindsey]

How large do kuhli loaches get? Will they be okay on medium size gravel instead of sand for awhile? Will they be okay with few/no plants, if there's driftwood and caves for them to hide in?

And, how many could I keep in a 30 gallon tank that's currently got 8 tetras, 4 corys, 2 rafael catfish and a betta? The rafes will be moved eventually to a bigger tank and there's a spare tank for the betta in case he doesn't work out.

My dad really wants kuhlis, and to be honest I think they're pretty cool looking. I just want to make sure it'll work out before I buy any. I know they need plant cover, but with my lighting, I really can't sustain anything except maybe hornwort.

[Sharon]

Kuhlis grow 3-4inches, so maybe five should be OK in your tank...

[Red]

They would be ok in gavel for a while, but they perfer sand a lot more. I would say you could have 5 in the tank if there is enough hiding places, and you might not see them all the time.

[Lindsey]

Wow, they stay a lot smaller than I thought they would, I was thinking they might be along the lines of 8-ten inches. Cool!

[mac]

There has been some reported cases were the Kulies have grown up to 8-10 inches. But according to the people it has happened to their Kulies were in very large tanks, 200++ gallons.

Other wise they stay small at around 5 inches. A perfect size for a 30 gallon.
The gravel will be fine for a while. But they do preffer sand. As for plants as long as they have logs and caves to hide in they are fine.

mac

[sharonm]

I have 4 Kuhlis which I see every now and then. I have gravel in my tank but they have made their home under my driftwood. They nest like a pile of worms!! I lure them out by dropping in shrimp pellets. For a while I was not sure they were alive as they are night creatures and would come out after the tank lights were out. They are fun to watch, I have 1 in particular that raps himself around a plant. They are not very big, I have had mine for 6 months and they are perhaps 2 1/4 inches long.