Grrrrr.... dang Kuhlis!

[Katy]

Actually, we think they are anguilaris. They are in the q-tank, and I didn't see them all day yesterday. Mr. Cloudhands said "they were out and munching away when we fed them daphnia the other day, so I tried feeding daphnia again. No kuhlis. So I moved the rocks. No one home. So I ran my hands through all the sand. No one. YIKES!

We've been doing at least once daily water changes on the tank, so we panic that they are dead in a snow bank. I take apart the filter -- there is one, swimming around in the tank. We have what we thought was fine mesh over the intake, but I guess not fine enough. Still only see the one. I even took apart the impeller. No fish. Start putting the filter back together -- both of them are looking up at me from the tank. I think he was in the bag of media beads.

Fortunately, I had ordered one of those giant sponges (pre-filter) for the intake, though it wasn't meant for the q-tank. Sigh. It is on it now.

Grrrrrr.

[chefkeith]

LOL. Some of my kuhli's disappeared for a few years.

[Rychek]

You've got to love Kuhlis! They are like Houdini, only more skilled and can breath under water.

[Katy]

and now they are grumpy with US! for disturbing them from their little cozy nest.

grrrr...

I guess you can all picture the panic, the mess of stripping down the filter in a panicked hurry, water all around....

[plaalye]

If you have a hang on back filter they're likely swimming up the outflow into the filter.

[JonasBygdemo]

We've got three kuhlii's, and only one of them come out for feeding and such. He had not been out for a month until like a week ago. Now he's out searching for food regularly. I haven't checked the filter yet, but I suspect that they are hiding underneath our anubia (like the active one does when not feeding). When we got the two non-active ones home, we started seeing all three very regularly, night and day. Not the case now however.

[Donna]

I've stripped tanks down to the bare bottom in panic several times, picking through gravel and filter media. Only once did I not find everyone -- one of my beloved ADFs, whom I suspect the angelfish ate.
One time I lifted out the big plastic log to clean it, not realizing a kuhli was inside! Fortunately, I didn't put the log straight in the sink to scrub it, and the little guy came flopping out while it was on the counter. I hastily tossed him back in the tank, and he was just fine.

[JonasBygdemo]

I've stripped tanks down to the bare bottom in panic several times, picking through gravel and filter media. Only once did I not find everyone -- one of my beloved ADFs, whom I suspect the angelfish ate.
One time I lifted out the big plastic log to clean it, not realizing a kuhli was inside! Fortunately, I didn't put the log straight in the sink to scrub it, and the little guy came flopping out while it was on the counter. I hastily tossed him back in the tank, and he was just fine.

He was pretty lucky! I accidently sucked one up during a water-change, and something in my head told me to look in the bucket. Had I not done that, we'd probably be missing one right now. He was a bit...stressed!

[Katy]

If you have a hang on back filter they're likely swimming up the outflow into the filter.

It is the q-tank, so the water level is really low. It is an Aquaclear 70, and the outflow is just a big waterfall. I am pretty sure they oculdn't but who knows!

And yes, we have sucked up fish during water changes before, so we always try to look closely at the bucket, but there guys are really pale, and the out-going water bucket is white... so we were really scared we just missed them somehow. So far when we have sucked fish up they seem to have thought it was like some kind of water-park ride -- WOO HOO that was fun! (for them, not us)

[Rychek]

I've stripped tanks down to the bare bottom in panic several times, picking through gravel and filter media. Only once did I not find everyone -- one of my beloved ADFs, whom I suspect the angelfish ate.
One time I lifted out the big plastic log to clean it, not realizing a kuhli was inside! Fortunately, I didn't put the log straight in the sink to scrub it, and the little guy came flopping out while it was on the counter. I hastily tossed him back in the tank, and he was just fine.

He was pretty lucky! I accidently sucked one up during a water-change, and something in my head told me to look in the bucket. Had I not done that, we'd probably be missing one right now. He was a bit...stressed!

This is how I lost my bumble-bee goby. By the time I realized he was been sucked up, it was too late to reclaim him.

[JonasBygdemo]

This is how I lost my bumble-bee goby. By the time I realized he was been sucked up, it was too late to reclaim him.

Sorry to hear that. Losing fish is never easy, especially when it could be prevented. My girlfriend accidently killed a platy-fry a while back and she's not recovered yet!