Feeding a black Kuhlii loach

[erc2995]

this might belong in the bottom feeder forum but more people check the general discusion section.
just got a black kuhlii loach a couple days ago and would have gotten 2 but the pet store only had the one. i know these are bottom scavengers but my problem is i have 2 mollies and a red wag platty that eat just about everything they can find i read that u can feed them at night with the lights off and i tried that and the mollies still found the shrimp pellet (which they actually go fanatical for)
i was just wondering should i be worried for the loach or does it actually find food? or is there any other tricks i can try? i also read the loach may adapt to coming out of its hiding spot ( a shipwreck cave) and feed during the day is this true?

 

[lauraf]

Do you have any frozen bloodworms? While your mollies and platy are busy eating some that you have thawed in warm water, you can put a small frozen pinch down by the loach's hiding spot to see if he goes for it. Otherwise, as long as the loach is healthy and not being picked on by anyone else in your tank, I'd imagine he'll come out to eat eventually . . . .

 

[bassbonediva]

I have three black kuhlis in my 55gal and they are NEVER hiding and they are NEVER still. lol! I tried getting a pic of one of them tonight and he just wouldn't let me.

Anyway! They love shrimp pellets. I found some bottom feeder shrimp pellets at Petsmart and the kuhlis, cories and USD cat just love them. I have very nosy female bettas, platies, neons and guppies in the tank with the kuhlis, cories and USD cat who think that ANYTHING food-ish dropped into the tank is meant for them. Since I feed once a day at night, I feed everyone their flakes, then turn off the light and drop six or seven shrimp pellets down the back of the tank behind my driftwood (in your case, you'd drop it in front of your kuhli's hiding spot). That way the top feeding fish are busy with their meal, the lights are off so they don't see me drop in the pellets, and the bottom feeders prefer eating at night anway.

A word of "warning." When you do your first water change after getting a kuhli, even if they've been hiding ever since you got them, if your parameters are good and they like the temperature, your kuhli(s) will be doing the "kuhli happy dance." It seriously looks like they're spazzing out, but they're not. They're just happy. Incidently, if you can fit them, get at least three kuhlis. They like to be in larger groups (I'm ultimately going to have six in my 55gal) and will feel more secure and be out and about more if they're in larger groups.

 

[lauraf]

OMG, I want to see that kuhli happy dance again! I had kuhlis a couple of decades ago and I remember how cutely spastic they were after a water change, or, really, at any time!!!
I have pakistani loaches, and they aren't quite as darling. They are also getting fatter, slower, and less wiggly now that they are older too.
Paige, can you take a vid for me?

 

[bassbonediva]

lol! Yeah, I'll see if I can get vid tomorrow. My tank is hard to see in at night 'cuz of all the driftwood and the side where the kuhlis do their dance is shaded by the biggest piece of driftwood. It's funny to watch all three of them going at once. What was hilarious, though, was when I did the first water change after getting the first one. I thought I'd done something wrong 'cuz he'd been hiding ever since I got him, but then all of a sudden he was out and being all spaztic! Well, ALL the fish in the tank, even my big grumpy unsocial USD cat, went to investigate what the kuhli found so exciting. Even Vladmir, my (first) albino cory, couldn't keep up with that kuhli for long and Vlad is insane himself! He followed the kuhli around for about two minutes, then when I went back to check on them, Vlad was sitting in the front of the tank like "Ahhhhh! No more!!!"

 

[lauraf]

Teeheeheee! I can totally see it!
Thanks for that description.

 

[erc2995]

yes i have the same shrimp pellets and ive tried at night and mollies just tear them up before the loach gets a chance
this morning it was out with the lights on and it was pretty active
its hard to hide stuff from the mollies bc i only have a 20 gal but ill keep trying i come home from work shortly after midnight, last night my fiance was up and had the lights on so the fish might have been a little more awake

 

[erc2995]

im also afraid im going to over feed trying to get food to him his other tank mates are a school of 6 zebra/glowlight danios and dwarf gourami the mollies are looking kind of fat right now from the shrimp pellets

 

[Doomhed]

i usually feed mine at night by throwing in 2 frozen bloodworm pellets every other night. they get some and seem pretty happy

 

[AnnieP]

From my experience, with clown loaches, they will get a lot more comfortable. Once I lift the lid to feed the fish, he is right out there waiting as well. They will also look around on the bottom of the tank for something the other fish missed. I wouldn't worry too much, they will eat (you just may not get to see it for awhile)