Kuhli loaches HELP!!!

Hey.
My kuhli loaches keep on swimming into my box filter through the holes at the top. Should i be worried or can i just leave them to do their own thing? Can this cause them to get hurt?
And if you are wondering: yes they are swimming in and out while it running...
I don't want them to get hurt...

PS: box filter: One of those that you put in the corner and that uses the air pump to filter the water... Hope i have the right name for it...

 

Do they have a good alternative place to hide? Mine were restless at first, and one DID get trapped in an internal filter and died. Subsequently, I added a stone which is raised a few mm (I mean it!) above the sand on flat pebbles. It's a TIGHT fit, but all five squeeze in there somehow. Now, they're much more confident and settled, and most often, all I see of them is heads peeking out. HTH!

 

That is the wierd part... I have like 4 other hiding places for them in the tank... So i don't know why they do it...

 

Ok. Thank you.
I will try that and report back what the outcome is.

 

I've closed it with cotton mesh now... only to return about an hour later to find out that 1 of them got in once again... How do they do that? But before i could get toe the filter to set him free he manged his way out again... 0_0
I think he likes the flow in there... is it possible?

 

Khuli's are semi rheophile fish - they just love flow,so hardly surprised that your 2 have chosen to make their residence in your corner box filter...lol... I wont bother with them in their too much..its just a piece of structure to them that provides them with a bit of flow that they crave....
Maybe install a little 200l/hour Jebo pump for some extra flow - they will love playing in it,doing the "Loachy dance" and maybe leave your filter alone...lol

 

Ok cool... now they can live there in peace...
and a 200l/hour filter in a 30l tank = BAD IDEA!!!

 

Not bad idea at ALL - they can be throttled down if you want(to about 120l/hour).... Wish more people will start understanding that flow in an aquarium is a necesity,not an inconvenience.... In nature our fish mostly live in rivers and streams,some in the upper reaches that has major flow... Very few species actualy want/need still waters.... the oxygenation benifits is enough alone to make everyone grab for an extra pump to provide more flow...

As you told me on the last visit,you have one smallish airpump running 3 tanks,way to little actualy to run your box filters effectively...thank goodness your fish loads are low - otherwise you might have had problems with water quality.... Nother(or Bigger!)airpump and some extra flow...trust me...lol

 

I've got one today. A huge one that is capable of running 4 tanks at a time... so that one is on 2 tanks now and the other is on 1 tank... :-D So filtration is not a problem any more... :-D

 

Good for you dude....didnt say it last time,but that one bubble every now and then comment had me worried...lol!

 

No that is for the guppy fry... you said you need low flow far any fry... Correct???

 

For fry yes(low flow),but all over fish benifit from some increased flow.... Here's a case in point...When I was cycling my river tank,had some Endlers in there - females gave birth like mad and babies till coped with like just over 6000l/hour flow... Just saying...

However,not enough flow(via air) through a box filter will leave you with bad water quality - not something you want or need in a fry tank...

 

Ok. i will remember that.

and then another question: What larger plants can i put in my low end brackish aquarium?

 

By large, do you mean tall or 'bushy'? Vallis grows extremely tall, and sends out runners, and will do quite fine in a low-end brackish tank. Java fern is also very tolerant of brackish water and gets pretty big, but not quite tall.

 

I have java fern. So i will get some Vallis from @azurekoi in the week... Thank you... :-D

 

There are a handful more that are also brackish tolerant, but I'm not very familiar with them... however azurekoi seems to know them pretty well and should be able to sort you out when you see him.

 

He,he...that I will....

 

There is no way you can over filter the water in your tank. Rather step up the filtration and you know everything is running 100% than hope you are doing enough.
As for the kuhli loaches, nothing can happen to them in a box filter that works with an air stone. They just like the oxygenated water.

 

Kuhlis love filters, so do other botiine loaches.
I've lost my fair share of loaches from them swimming into the outlets of internal filters and even my big canister filter on one tank