Kuhli Loach

Auction for one Kuhli Loach Tropical Fish

A longtime hobby favorite, the Kuhlii Loach (Pangio kuhlii) is deservedly popular due to its unusual eel-like shape and active, social nature. In the wild, they are found in a wide range of habitats, from peat swamps to shallow stretches of large river and can be found in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In the wild, they usually inhabit soft, slightly acidic water with a fine sand or mud substrate and in areas with ample leaf litter and other cover and during the day are usually found burrowed in or close to the substrate. In the aquarium, they are hardy fish but prefer plenty of cover and will be most active and happiest in groups of 5 or more.

Scientific Name: Pangio kuhlii (Valenciennes, 1846)

Common name: Kuhli Loach, Coolie Loach, Leapord Eel, Prickly Eye.

Size: approx 5cm, but will grow to 7-10cm

Care: All kuhlis need well-established aquaria and should not be considered for newly set up tanks. Lots of hiding places with soft substrate. Best kept in groups, the larger the better. Three fish is the absolute minimum that should be kept together.

Feeding: Easily fed. Accepts good quality flake, sinking pellets, thawed frozen bloodworm, Mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, etc.

Water parameters: pH: 6.2-6.8.

Hardness: Medium Soft to Medium. Max dh: 10

Temperature: 78 - 82F (25.5 - 28C)

Like all Kuhlis, this species loves planted aquaria with plenty of cover and ideally with some loose leaf litter. In nature, they habitually grub around for food particles in such areas. Kuhlis are great at getting into awkward places. Undergravel filters are less in vogue these days, but aquarists occasionally stripped down tanks that they had previously kept kuhlis in only to find a population that had obviously bred in the tank hidden beneath the undergravel plate.