Striped Kuhlis

[OMP89]

Hiya everyone! I've loved loaches, but I love all fish types. I've yet to find a type I love more than another. I currently I have 1 lone striped kuhli. I got him from my best friend's brother. He's had this fish since high school. That would make him atleast 15 years old. He lived in an overstocked 20 long gal. No heater, no water changes, gravel substrate and really no hiding places. So all fish died except him. My 75 gallon had just finished cycling and my BFF's brother offered to give him to me. I agreed to take him in. I didn't think her brother had moved a bit far from home. Poor fishy endured a 2 hour drive in a little tubberware cup.

I spent 12 hrs acclimating him. And he's doing okay so far. He needs friends. Tried as I might, I couldn't find any striped kuhlis. So I got the next best thing, 6 solid kuhlis. He won't bond with them. Each time the school gets close to him, he frantically swims to another area. I've seen him do the "loachy swim" quite a few times. But I haven't seen him do it lately. How do you tell if your loach is happy? Is it possible to have a loach that prefers to be alone? I found someone on a Fish FaceBook group that has a striped pair they'd like to rehome. So I'd be able to rehome the solids I have and try out those 2 with him.

Here are some picys, BTW his name is Old Man Purp AKA OMP or Purp. Sorry, the 1st pic was when I was battling some brown/hair algae.






The current loachy hide outs

[OMP89]

Giving the thread a little bump

[Angelology]

He is very very small for a 15 year old kuhli -- from the looks of it he's the "Giant" species, Pangio myersi, and should be much bigger than that. But alas, that's what overstocking and 0 water changes does!

It is possible that since he's been on his own for so long he's used to solitude and won't accept a school. I would take back the solid kuhlis and try the pair of striped kuhlis off the FB people -- it's worth a shot. Maybe he'll accept them after a few weeks or months, it might just be a slow process. When I had Kuhlis I had 8, a mixture of Pangio myersi and true Pangio kuhlii and they all hung out together.

[redshark1]

Spent so long on his own he now prefers it? Who knows but that's what it seems.

Nice pics btw.

[chefkeith]

They may eventually bond. The older kuhli's I have, both striped and solid, didn't bond much until I gave them some rock piles (with 3" to 6" smooth river rocks) to house in. They'll wiggle in and out of those rock piles like you wouldn't believe.

[joeybab3]

I used to have these guys, sad story cheap filters are not always good