[carbonxxkidd]

Hi everyone, I got a school of 8 kuhli's a few days ago (2 black, 6 banded) and they are just going NUTS. Glass surfing like crazy. Are they just really happy in my tank or should I be worried? The guy at the LFS said I'd probably never see them all at the same time...well they're all right up front swimming like crazy. Up and down and side to side. They did stop for a few minutes when I fed the tank to eat, but are right back at it. Super fun to watch but not sure if there's something wrong or not. They're in a 29g planted tank and all parameters are perfect. Thanks!

 

[GwenInNM]

Hi everyone, I got a school of 8 kuhli's a few days ago (2 black, 6 banded) and they are just going NUTS. Glass surfing like crazy. Are they just really happy in my tank or should I be worried? The guy at the LFS said I'd probably never see them all at the same time...well they're all right up front swimming like crazy. Up and down and side to side. They did stop for a few minutes when I fed the tank to eat, but are right back at it. Super fun to watch but not sure if there's something wrong or not. They're in a 29g planted tank and all parameters are perfect. Thanks!

I'd say if your parameters are "perfect" meaning your nitrates are below 20ppm, they may be stressed if you don't have hiding places. Mine have lots of drift wood they are in and out of. They really need a place to hide, and you'll see them more often, but not in a frantic state.

 

[Chesh]

In my experience, Kuhli just go bonkers sometimes - especially when they're in a new environment, just after a water change, or if the weather is doing weird things. Some people think it's a stress reaction, and that may be true - but others (like me!), think that it's just their way of saying WHEEEEEEE!!! Loaches are fun, and silly. . .

It looks like your tanks are pretty well planted, and if so, they have plenty of places to hide or sleep if they want to. You may find that the more hiding spots they have, the less they use them! Though they are more active in the evenings, my loaches are out all the time - hopefully this will prove the case with your squirmy new friends, too!

I wouldn't worry too much about the surfing for now. From what I've seen, an unhappy loach tends to be less active - not more. I could be wrong, just what I've noticed from watching mine for the last year and a half or so. . . Of course, keep a close eye on them (especially at feeding time), and the water parameters, but for now, I wouldn't worry too much about overly squirmy loaches.

Congrats on the new babies!!!! I hope they love their new home, and that you adore these amazing fish as much as I do!

^.^

 

[carbonxxkidd]

I have a ton of live plants and two logs, plenty of hiding spots. My nitrates are a bit high (>40ppm), but no matter what I do I can't get them down - like I said I have a ton of live plants, basically a jungle, and I do a 50% water change weekly. I have an Eheim 2213 filter and clean that about once a month. I do use Prime, but not sure if I should be doing even more water changes or what to get nitrates down. I'm not super worried about them - my mom's nitrates read >100 (and have for basically forever) and her angelfish are breeding like crazy, but it'd be nice to get them below 20 anyway.

The kuhlis aren't breathing heavily and seem to just be having fun but they are almost constantly swimming...maybe it's because they are new additions and are just enjoying the freedom in comparison to the LFS tanks?

 

[carbonxxkidd]

In my experience, Kuhli just go bonkers sometimes - especially when they're in a new environment, just after a water change, or if the weather is doing weird things. Some people think it's a stress reaction, and that may be true - but others (like me!), think that it's just their way of saying WHEEEEEEE!!! Loaches are fun, and silly. . .

It looks like your tanks are pretty well planted, and if so, they have plenty of places to hide or sleep if they want to. You may find that the more hiding spots they have, the less they use them! Though they are more active in the evenings, my loaches are out all the time - hopefully this will prove the case with your squirmy new friends, too!

I wouldn't worry too much about the surfing for now. From what I've seen, an unhappy loach tends to be less active - not more. I could be wrong, just what I've noticed from watching mine for the last year and a half or so. . . Of course, keep a close eye on them (especially at feeding time), and the water parameters, but for now, I wouldn't worry too much about overly squirmy loaches.

Congrats on the new babies!!!! I hope they love their new home, and that you adore these amazing fish as much as I do!

^.^

Thanks, I am so excited to have them. They were the #1 fish I wanted in my tank but wanted to make sure everything was just perfect before getting them. I had one as a kid and never saw it...didn't know they liked to be in groups at the time. It's definitely fun to see them swimming, and I am not around all day to watch but this morning and right now they are just going nuts. Fun to watch, and good to know that it's probably normal behavior

 

[Chesh]

Sounds like a great home for them! I'm sure they'll calm down once they get used to things, every Pangio loach I've ever brought home has been nutty at first. They do the same thing when I put them in a new tank, or after a water change.

40ppm is pretty high for doing consistent 50% water changes weekly in a planted tank. Do you have nitrates in your tap water?

 

[carbonxxkidd]

Sounds like a great home for them! I'm sure they'll calm down once they get used to things, every Pangio loach I've ever brought home has been nutty at first. They do the same thing when I put them in a new tank, or after a water change.

40ppm is pretty high for doing consistent 50% water changes weekly in a planted tank. Do you have nitrates in your tap water?

No nitrates in the tap. The only thing I can think of is the fertilizer tabs I use for my plants might be messing with my API test kit? I've tested shortly after a water change and no change in nitrates so I don't know. I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing as long as the fish seem okay...
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[Chesh]

As long as it's consistent, and everyone seems well enough, I guess it's okay. Just keep an eye on it. . .

My nitrates are super low, and I use LOADS of root tabs, so I doubt it's that (my main tank is mostly crypts, but I also have a lot of floaters that I'm sure help out). Do you vacuum your substrate (a lot of people with planted tanks don't, I know) or have a lot of high-bioload fish?

lol, off topic!!! Sorry! I get curious! ^.~

 

[GwenInNM]

As long as it's consistent, and everyone seems well enough, I guess it's okay. Just keep an eye on it. . .

My nitrates are super low, and I use LOADS of root tabs, so I doubt it's that (my main tank is mostly crypts, but I also have a lot of floaters that I'm sure help out). Do you vacuum your substrate (a lot of people with planted tanks don't, I know) or have a lot of high-bioload fish?

lol, off topic!!! Sorry! I get curious! ^.~

Chesh is right, something is not right with nitrates that high! This is not good for fish, and I just don't believe that Angelfish are breeding in nitrates over 100. Are you sure they are Angelfish and not guppies :-D Check the level coming out of your tap water. Root tabs don't add nitrates to water. How many plants do you have and how big is your tank? I don't remember if you told us that early. I hope you acclimated the loaches, because your water parameters are probably different than what they were used to. It could be getting used to a new environment, but with nitrates that high, and you saying your parameters are "perfect", I'm guessing that you've got something else going on. Do you have ammonia or nitrite levels too?

 

[carbonxxkidd]

Yes, I vacuum my substrate the best I can with every water change. Tank is 29g with a ton of plants (all live - frogbit, guppy grass, crypts, java fern, giant hygro, wisteria, amazon sword, moss ball, duckweed, and a few other species). Ammonia and nitrite are both at 0. Tap water reads 0 across the board. My pH is over 8 in both the tank and the tap. Just did a 50% water change today and checked nitrates about an hour after and they are still between 20-40ppm. I did acclimate the loaches, and like I said they all seem to be eating fine, just swimming around a lot. My platy just gave birth last night (all babies got eaten)...as for high bioload I think the three platys I have are the culprits there - they CONSTANTLY poop. Otherwise I have female bettas, corys and otos plus a few amano shrimp and a bunch of MTS. My tank is fully stocked after the addition of the loaches, another reason I always do 50% water changes.

As for my mom's angelfish, I'm not kidding every time I check her nitrates they are off the charts and her angels spawn every couple weeks. She doesn't clean her tank as often as she should, about twice a month and she has the same filter I do. And yes, they are definitely pearl angelfish, lol.

On a side note, I live in MN and the weather has been a bit weird lately...super super hot yesterday, colder and dreary today, supposed to be ridiculously hot again tomorrow with possible storms...I've been reading that kuhlis sometime go nuts with changes in the weather...wonder if this is as simple as that?

 

[Chesh]

Could be the weather, could be the water changes, could be the new environment (could be all three! >.<). . . loaches are silly, lovely little things, for sure - one of the most entertaining fish I keep!

Doesn't seem like your nitrates should be that high with all those plants, but glad you're keeping an eye on it, and doing your water changes consistently. . . keep up the good work!

^.^

 

[Fishguy411]

I have a ton of live plants and two logs, plenty of hiding spots. My nitrates are a bit high (>40ppm), but no matter what I do I can't get them down - like I said I have a ton of live plants, basically a jungle, and I do a 50% water change weekly. I have an Eheim 2213 filter and clean that about once a month. I do use Prime, but not sure if I should be doing even more water changes or what to get nitrates down. I'm not super worried about them - my mom's nitrates read >100 (and have for basically forever) and her angelfish are breeding like crazy, but it'd be nice to get them below 20 anyway.

The kuhlis aren't breathing heavily and seem to just be having fun but they are almost constantly swimming...maybe it's because they are new additions and are just enjoying the freedom in comparison to the LFS tanks?

You shouldn’t be doing a 50% water chang every week. Not allowing the natural cycle to happen. Making higher nitrates. Do a 25% but wait 2 weeks