black khuli advice.

[livevil_ryoko]

i did some research on these fun little guys and it seems they are hearty fish that are easy to maintain... however im left with a couple of questions. my first question is about the substrate. i have your basic gravel, but i hear these guys like to burrow. would it be better to switch to sand? and if i cant make the switch right away would they do alright with the gravel? my tank is stocked with plenty of hides and some natural rocks that already have some cubby holes underneath them from my cichlids short stay.
the other question is if they could survive with cichlids, the most aggressive being my red zebra. the rest occasionally chase each other but are pretty docile.
if not i have another, less active tank, however the cichlid tank is larger and can support the full 6+... otherwise im confined to 3... maybe....
AND of course any additional advice is always appreciated.

[ekfishlover2011]

Black Kuhlis dont get very big, i wouldnt put them with cichlids. The max size is 4 inches actually, or at least thats as big as mine ever got even having plenty of room to grow. 4 inches sounds like a lot but their bodies are very tiny, just long. They are about as thick as a squirt of toothpaste from a standard toothpaste tube at the biggest, so not very round.

Kuhlis do like sand much better than gravel, but as long as the gravel is smooth and rounded they will still burrow. One thing i really dont like about them. When you try to catch them and they disappear into the gravel... Who knows where they are anymore. LOL. That being said, when you get them, put them where you want them right away, because they are not an easy fish to move. QT them in a small area with no gravel (but something, anything, to hide under) so that when it comes time to put them in final place you can find and catch them better.

[ashbaxter]

I have ten of these guys and they are pretty neat, i have gravel and they are ok with it, they pretty much live under a piece of driftwood so you will just see a row of little heads poking out. The more you can get the better, i started with five and they were kind of shy but now they are out a lot more so i would say get a few if you can

[Lady Hobbs]

I would not put them with african cichlids either. Cichlids find their territories and don't want others coming into their spaces.