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SnailsBlack Kuhli Loach | Care Tips, Diet & More
Looking for a peaceful bottom dweller for your (shrimp) aquarium? Consider kuhli loaches! These small, elongated fish are easy to care for and leave their tankmates alone. Today, we'll discuss the black kuhli loach, which is less popular but no less suitable for your aquarium than its striped cousin!
Below, you'll find everything you need to know about black kuhli loaches, where they're from, what they need, their diet, and much more.
| Scientific name | Pangio oblonga |
| Common names | Black kuhli loach, brown kuhli loach, Java loach |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
| Origin | Southeast Asia |
Table of Contents
Black kuhli loach appearance & natural habitat
Appearance
The black kuhli loach looks like a typical member of the genus Pangio, which belongs to the family of true loaches Cobitidae. It's quite small, growing to a maximum length of only around 3". The species' body is elongated, almost like an eel or snake, and the small dorsal fin is set so far back it's close to the tail fin.
Unlike the more popular true kuhli loach, black kuhlis don't sport a banded pattern. They're not really black either, but more of a muddy brown. They do have the typical barbels: small tentacles on the face that they can use to scour the substrate for food.
Natural habitat
Although this species is also known as the Java loach, it's definitely not only found on the Indonesian island of Java. In fact, it has a pretty wide natural range, popping up throughout much of Southeast Asia: Java and Sumatra in Indonesia, but also Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and Thailand.
In their natural range, black kuhli loaches inhabit forest streams. These waters are characterized by their slow flow, mud or leaf-covered bottoms, large amounts of aquatic plants and overhanging vegetation, and possibly dark coloration due to the presence of tannins. They're generally very soft and highly acidic, with a pH that can be as low as 4!
The IUCN Red List considers Pangio oblonga to be a species of Least Concern. It notes that the species unlikely to become threatened in the future because it's so widely distributed, and that it handles habitat disturbance relatively well. Yay!
Setting up a black kuhli loach aquarium
Requirements
Because black kuhli loaches stay relatively small and don't tend to move around all that much, they don't require a lot of space. An aquarium of 15 gallons or up should be enough to support a group.
It's important to keep this species' natural habitat in mind when setting up the tank. Your choice of substrate is especially important for bottom dwellers like these. They like to be able to root through a nice layer of sand, or leaf litter. Their barbels can become damaged or infected if you keep them on sharp gravel, sometimes making them unable to eat properly.
Black kuhli loaches like to spend much of their day tucked into a safe hide, so it's a good idea to incorporate plenty of tubes (such as shrimp flats). Make sure the tank is well-decorated with driftwood, rocks, and live plants. Keep the lighting relatively dim, like by using floating plants, and ensure a gentle water flow. And put a lid on your tank, because these loaches do jump!
Water parameters
Remember that kuhli loaches inhabit seriously soft and acidic water in the wild. If the natural pH of your tap water is over 7 (neutral) or the water is high in dissolved solids, you may have to adjust it to make sure your black kuhlis don't suffer. The addition of leaf litter or working with reverse osmosis water can help with this.
Black kuhli loaches are not considered overly sensitive; they're pretty hardy. Still, you should never introduce them into an uncycled aquarium. It's important to keep up with weekly water changes and other regular aquarium maintenance.
pH: 4-7
Temperature: 73.5-80.5 °F
TDS: 20-150
Tankmates
The truly great thing about kuhli loaches is that they get along with pretty much everyone. They're bottom dwellers that don't get in anyone's way, usually ignore their tankmates entirely, and are inconspicuous enough to avoid being eaten by most larger fish species.
First off, remember that these fish do like the presence of their own kind. You might see a bunch of your black kuhli loaches piled into a single tube, enjoying safety in numbers! At least three loaches would be our recommended minimum, although 5+ is ideal.
Your black kuhlis will do fine in a community aquarium as long as the other fish have similar requirements, especially in terms of the preferred soft and acidic water. There are loads of other Asian species that you could consider:
South American fish like the bottom-dwelling Corydoras or the ubiquitous neon tetra should also work just fine with your kuhlis. So will invertebrates such as the Thai micro crab or various snail species.
Even shrimp make good black kuhli loach tankmates. Although newly hatched dwarf shrimp may be eaten, they can usually hide just fine in a more densely planted tank, ensuring that plenty of them survive. Neocaridina shrimp, like the common cherry shrimp, should make a great choice.
Black kuhli loach diet
Black kuhli loaches aren't known as the type of fish to parade around the aquarium all day. In fact, you may not even see yours daily, as they're nocturnal. However, a good way to get your loaches out of hiding is by means of food! Dropping some edible bits near their favorite hides is sure to tempt them.
Kuhlis naturally find their food by scooping up sand and then expelling it, extracting any edible bits in the process. They mostly eat bugs: larvae, small crustaceans, and the like. In the aquarium, they'll appreciate small sinking foods, frozen foods, and live bugs.
Breeding black kuhli loaches
No luck here. Although there are some vague reports of black kuhli loaches reproducing in aquariums without any interference, not much is known about how to make it happen. This species is captive-bred on a large scale, but this is usually done by administering hormone injections to induce spawning.
Buying black kuhli loaches
Unfortunately, black kuhli loaches haven't quite reached their striped cousins' popularity levels (yet!). They may therefore be a little more difficult to find in your local aquarium store. Try asking the staff if they can order a batch in for you if the species doesn't form part of their regular stock.
You can also opt to buy online. The Shrimp Farm sells black kuhli loaches and ships them right to your doorstep with live arrival guarantee!
