Black Kuhli Loach

 The Black Kuhli Loach (Pangio kuhlii) is a species of loach characterized by their long, slender "eel-like" bodies. The "black" kuhli loach refers to a kuhli loach with solid dark brown colouring.

Kuhli loaches are a bottom-feeding fish. While they are not technically a shoaling species, they prefer to search the bottom of the aquarium for food in a group. They prefer water temperatures from the mid-70's to low-80's, have an impressive lifespan of 10 years on average and will grow to be 3.5" long. A small group of kuhli loaches can comfortably live in a 15-gallon aquarium. Kuhli loaches can be timid when kept alone; your kuhli loach will spend more time out if they have a couple of friends.

Because kuhli loaches are very slender, particularly small or young specimens can get stuck in the filter intake. It is recommended to wrap your filter intake with foam or filter floss to prevent any accidents. These fish need a soft sand substrate as they enjoy scavenging through it and bury themselves in it. These fish are extremely sensitive to fluctuations in water parameters. Only add them to a cycled aquarium.

Feeding for these fish is not difficult; make sure you supplement them regularly with bottomfeeder pellets, along with frozen and live foods. They will scavenge for any food that your other fish did not eat, such as fish flakes.

(Image credit "Aquarium Source")