Okay, so my boyfriend seems to be interested in my tank now after we took a bad trip in Walmart. The fish of the interest were violet goby's. We quickly decided "No, bad idea. No." So, he's willing to maybe, potentially, possibly feed them every now and again if we get something eel-like.
Currently we're looking at khuli loaches. He seems to like them. Dwarf loaches are a maybe. He thinks they look nifty but he wants something longer and packed with personality. Khuli's meet the eel-like matter of it because of their length. I did do a forum search before I posted anything but the only thread that seemed to be of assistance was over a year old and I really didn't want to necropost.
So. My question is how well do khulis get along with bettas? What I've found is that they typically only get to ~4". I've got a 10gal Aqueon from the Petco sale. It seems to be a bit narrow for my taste, but that was the only thing we could get and the only one that we can accommodate easily, lol. I do like the look of khulis, but it says on PetSmart that they do best in groups of 3-6. Since the general rule for fish to gallons is 1"=1gal and they're bottom feeders, would we be safe with just a pair?
I want to get kuhlis for my sorority tank eventually, I love them! I would think that they will be just fine because they are peaceful fish and stick to the bottom. My bettas completely ignore my corydoras who are also bottom dwellers.
I actually just recently learned that kuhlis should be housed in groups of at least 5. I had one in a 10 gallon when I was younger and he lived for a long time all by himself. I hardly ever saw him though. I've read if you have a larger group they will be out in the open more.
I have 2 kuhlis and a female betta in a 5 gallon, heavily planted. While I think the physical space is a little small for them, the water quality is fine ONLY because of how many plants the tank has. I would not recommend this for anyone really. Ever. That being said, I think that if the tank was heavily planted (for water quality sake), a 10 gallon could easily hold 4-5 and a betta. But please keep in mind they are also extreme escape artists, you absolutely need to have a cover for the tank (which you should for the betta anyways). Mine actually ended up in my filter for a few months. Also, I had them with a male for a while, but their fast movements were extremely stressful to him. Since my female can swim much faster, and all bettas are individuals, she seems perfectly fine with them. Though they also have good hiding spots in case she wants one for lunch.
So, would it be wise for ~2 khulis to be in a 10 with a betta? They do get up to 4 inches long. eatmice says it's a bad idea and Kyt has had experience with two of them in a 5...
Can I get some more weigh-ins? Pros/Cons? I've never had khulis before, not really seen them really, save at Youtube.
Kuhlis must be kept in groups, with a sandy bottom.
Loaches are very thin and don't have much load to them, a few lives plants and you should be fine. Posted via Mobile Device
They really should be in a larger group than what I have. At least 3. But as Olympia said, they have a fairly low bioload, hence why I firmly believe that 4-6 could easily go in a 10 gallon with a betta with enough plants. Sand is def preferred, though I have sand and mine never bury, preferring to simply hide behind a rock I have. The inch per gallon rule doesn't really apply to them because they are shaped so different than a normal fish. When it comes down to it they are probably more like neons. Without a betta, 8-10 would probably happily live in a planted 10 gallon. Though like I said before, they are very sensitive to water quality. So don't go with more than 4-5 if you don't heavily plant or don't feel experienced enough with keeping good water. They are also fairly nocturnal. Sometimes they are out during the day, but they are most active at night so keep that in mind if you want a fish you see all the time.
Also, these fish can live 5-8+ years, and are thus a much longer commitment than a betta. I got mine as an impulse buy about a year and a half ago. They were only a dollar apiece, and it was definitely stupid on my part. I knew they didn't get very big, but I should have done more research on their other needs. They do seem very happy though.
I've been intending on either black lagoon gravel or a black sand since I'm curious about ghost shrimp. The thing that I'm primarily concerned about with my tank is that I'm concerned about 1"=1gal for fish. Is that rule more for bioloads then? My current wish tank is too much for a 10 I'm sure since I'm curious about snuffling corys, wiggly loaches, pretty bettas and ghost shrimp.
Would it be okay if I loaded the tank with Cabomba and Hornwort? I'm also attracted to Microsword, I think it was called, having problems finding it. Would the loaches be happy with these? I have heard that corys do tend to uproot plants, so I am aware of this if I happen to get any.
And thanks for the information guys! I knew there was more to it.
I kind of figured that, though my betta might also have something to do with that. She doesn't actively try to eat them, but that doesn't mean she doesn't try to investigate them when she sees them during the day. I mostly see them out in the morning and in the evening.
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