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Black Kuhli Loach (Pangio oblonga)
A fully jet-black, eel-like loach that burrows into sand, thrives in groups, and cleans the bottom of your community tank after lights-out.
Will it live with a Black Kuhli Loach?
We compare each fish against your black kuhli loach on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Badis✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Banded Dwarf Cichlid✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Bolivian Ram✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Brilliant Rasbora✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Burmese Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Celebes Rainbowfish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Celebes Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Costa's Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Costa's Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Croaking Gourami✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Dwarf Gourami✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Gold Barb✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7.5 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Gold Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Goldeneye Dwarf Cichlid✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 8 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Hongsloi Dwarf Cichlid✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Leopard Frog Pleco✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 25–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Mahachai Betta✅ CompatibleAggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Peacock Gudgeon✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Peppered Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Peppered Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Rio Negro Checkerboard Cichlid✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Roundtail Paradise Fish✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Easy care · 10–26 °C (50–79 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Splashing Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Splashing Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Spotted Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Spotted Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Sumo Loach✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Thick-lipped Gourami✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- African Butterfly Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Amazon Puffer⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Ash Lipped Apisto⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Bamboo Shrimp⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- Black Kuhli Loach may eat Bamboo Shrimp or pick off its shrimplets — a densely planted tank with moss gives them a fighting chance.
- Bandit Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Bandit Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Brichardi Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Different pH ranges (5.5–7.5 vs 7.8–9); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Clown Pleco⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Congo Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Congo Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Demasoni Cichlid⚠️ With cautionAggressive · 9 cm · Hard care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
- Different pH ranges (5.5–7.5 vs 7.8–8.6); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Demasoni Cichlid in a shoal of 12+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Glass Catfish⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Glass Catfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Lifalili Jewel Cichlid⚠️ With cautionAggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Mexican Tetra⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 9 cm · Easy care · 18–25 °C (64–77 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~110 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Mexican Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Pantanal Corydoras⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~110 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Pantanal Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Scissortail Rasbora⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~90 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Scissortail Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Silver Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~115 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Silver Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Zebra Loach⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~115 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Size gap is too large (250 vs 8 cm): Alligator Gar will treat Black Kuhli Loach as food.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Clown Knifefish (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Black Kuhli Loach whole.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Fire Eel⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Fire Eel (100 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Black Kuhli Loach whole.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Koi⛔ Not recommendedPeaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
- Size gap is too large (90 vs 8 cm): Koi will treat Black Kuhli Loach as food.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Black Kuhli Loach is bite-sized to a 120 cm predatory redtail catfish — it will be eaten.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Size gap is too large (90 vs 8 cm): Spotted Gar will treat Black Kuhli Loach as food.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
- Size gap is too large (300 vs 8 cm): Wels Catfish will treat Black Kuhli Loach as food.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Size gap is too large (72 vs 8 cm): Wolf Cichlid will treat Black Kuhli Loach as food.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
Compatibility is computed from each species' care data — a strong starting point, not a guarantee. Individual temperament varies, so always introduce new fish slowly and watch them.
Black Kuhli Loach care specs
- Care level
- Easy
- Breeding
- Hard
- Max size
- 8 cm (3.1 in)
- Min tank size
- 60 L (15.9 gal)
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- pH
- 5.5–7.5
- Hardness
- 1–10 dGH
- Lifespan
- 5–10 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Group size
- 5+ (shoaling)
- Family
- Cobitidae
- Origin
- Southeast Asia — Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java
What is a Black Kuhli Loach?
The Black Kuhli Loach (Pangio oblonga) is a slender, eel-like bottom dweller native to the soft, tea-stained blackwater streams of Southeast Asia — the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Java. Unlike its banded relative the common kuhli loach (Pangio kuhlii), this species is a uniform, unbroken deep black or very dark brown from snout to tail. That clean, striking look makes it easy to spot against a pale sandy substrate even in dim evening light, and is the primary reason aquarists specifically seek it out.
Adults top out at around 8 cm (3 in). The body is cylindrical and sinuous, equipped with four pairs of sensory barbels around the mouth and small, partially embedded scales. Like all loaches in the family Cobitidae, Black Kuhlis have a spine beneath each eye — a defensive structure, not a threat to fishkeepers, but worth knowing before you net them. They are completely peaceful and will not trouble any fish they cannot swallow, which in practice means every tank-mate of normal community size is safe.
Where do Black Kuhli Loaches come from?
Wild Pangio oblonga inhabits slow-moving or still lowland streams, forest peat swamps and river margins across the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Java. These habitats share a distinctive profile: very soft, extremely low-mineral water stained amber by decaying leaf litter and peat, a substrate of fine sand and mud, dense riparian vegetation, and almost no current. Water temperatures in these environments sit in the 23–28 °C (73–82 °F) range year-round, and pH can drop well below 6.0 in true blackwater.
Most fish in the trade are wild-caught or bred in Southeast Asian fish farms under broadly similar conditions. Understanding the native habitat — dim, soft, still and richly structured — is the fastest shortcut to understanding what this species needs in a tank.
What size tank does a Black Kuhli Loach need?
The frontmatter minimum is 60 L (16 gal), and that is realistic only if the footprint is generous — these fish roam the bottom, so a long, shallow tank is preferable to a tall narrow column. In practice, 75–80 L (20 gal) gives a group of five meaningful foraging territory and makes water chemistry easier to keep stable.
For a group of six to eight fish, step up to 100 L (26 gal) or more. The floor area matters far more than total volume. Tank length should be at least 60 cm (24 in); 75–90 cm (30–36 in) is better.
Substrate is the single most important hardware decision: use fine sand or very smooth, small-grain gravel. Sharp substrates lacerate the unprotected belly and wear down the barbels over time, causing chronic low-grade infection. Pool filter sand, play sand or commercial aquarium sand all work well.
Cover is essential. Dense patches of low-light plants — java fern, anubias, cryptocoryne, vallisneria — plus driftwood, smooth stones, PVC tube hides or commercial caves give the fish places to wedge together and rest during the day. Floating plants like frogbit dim the tank and encourage more daytime activity. A tight-fitting lid with no gaps larger than a finger-width is mandatory: Black Kuhlis are determined escape artists and will find every opening, especially overnight.
Filtration should deliver gentle flow. A sponge filter or a canister with output directed at the glass rather than across open water best replicates the still-water conditions of their origin.
What water parameters do Black Kuhli Loaches need?
- Temperature: 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- pH: 5.5–7.5; they are naturally adapted to acidic conditions but tolerate near-neutral water well once established
- Hardness: 1–10 dGH — soft water is strongly preferred; avoid hard or alkaline setups
Stability matters more than precision within those ranges. Black Kuhlis are hardy once settled but sensitive to sharp swings in temperature or chemistry. Always cycle the tank fully before adding them, keep up with weekly 20–25 % water changes, and avoid large same-day changes in pH or hardness. Because they originate in soft water, they do best in municipalities with low tap hardness or with RO water blended in.
Peat filtration or botanicals (Indian almond leaves, catappa bark) naturally lower pH, add tannins and replicate blackwater conditions — Black Kuhlis respond visibly well to these setups.
What do Black Kuhli Loaches eat?
Black Kuhlis are omnivores but lean toward meaty, protein-rich foods. In the wild they sift substrate for insect larvae, small worms, microorganisms and organic detritus. In the aquarium, the most reliable diet combines:
- Sinking pellets or wafers (catfish or loach-specific formula) as a staple — offered after lights out when the fish are naturally most active
- Frozen or live bloodworms once or twice a week
- Frozen or live tubifex, daphnia or brine shrimp for variety
- Blanched vegetables (zucchini slice, spinach) occasionally, though most individuals show limited interest
Feed at dusk or just after lights-out. Black Kuhlis are nocturnal and shy feeders; food dropped during the daytime is often claimed by more assertive mid-water fish before the loaches emerge. Sinking foods that reach the substrate intact are key. Overfeeding rots on the sand and causes ammonia spikes — small portions every one to two nights is better than large daily feeds.
How do Black Kuhli Loaches behave, and what fish can live with them?
Black Kuhlis are thoroughly peaceful bottom-dwellers with a temperament: 100 % compatible with anything that is not large enough to eat them. They spend daylight hours tucked into caves, wedged behind filter intakes, or piled on top of each other in a hollow log. At dusk and dawn the group spreads out to forage, moving in an undulating, almost serpentine glide across the sand.
The minimum group size is five; fewer and the fish retreat into permanent hiding and rarely emerge. A group of six to eight in a well-planted tank is the sweet spot for visible, active behaviour.
Ideal tank-mates are peaceful mid-water or upper-column community fish that do not compete for bottom space: tetras, rasboras, danios, gouramis, small barbs, corydoras (different niche but peaceful), and peaceful dwarf cichlids. Avoid large cichlids, large predatory loaches, and any aggressive or nippy species. Shrimp smaller than about 1.5 cm can occasionally be taken as food.
For a curated, filterable list of compatible species, see Black Kuhli Loach tank mates.
How do you tell male from female Black Kuhli Loaches?
Sexing is difficult outside of spawning condition, but the frontmatter gives the key tell: females are noticeably plumper and broader-bodied when viewed from above, particularly when gravid with eggs. Males are consistently slimmer with a more uniformly cylindrical profile.
Under standard conditions the sexes look nearly identical from the side. The difference becomes obvious in a mature group when one or more females swell with eggs before a spawning attempt — at that point the broader abdomen is visible even from tank-viewing angle. Juvenile fish under about 5 cm (2 in) are not reliably sexed by any external character.
How do Black Kuhli Loaches breed?
Breeding is rated Hard, and successful spawning in the home aquarium is uncommon but documented. In the wild, Pangio species spawn during the rainy season, triggered by falling atmospheric pressure, rising water levels, temperature drops and a sudden increase in flow or food availability. Replicating those cues is the main challenge.
Reported approaches in captivity include a dedicated breeding tank of around 30–40 L (8–10 gal) with a thin layer of fine sand, java moss or spawning mops, very soft and acidic water (pH 6.0–6.5, hardness below 5 dGH), and a conditioning period of several weeks on high-protein live and frozen foods. A gradual water level drop followed by a cooler, larger water change to simulate rain can trigger spawning behaviour.
Eggs are small, greenish and adhesive, often scattered among fine-leaved plants or java moss near the surface. Adults must be removed after spawning as they do not guard eggs and will eat them. Fry are tiny and require infusoria or commercial first-foods before graduating to micro-worm and baby brine shrimp. Survival rates in community tanks without intervention are very low.
What diseases affect Black Kuhli Loaches?
Black Kuhlis are more susceptible to disease than scaled fish because their reduced, partially-embedded scales offer less protection, and because many common medications — particularly those containing copper or formalin — can harm scaleless or lightly-scaled species at standard doses. Prevention is therefore especially important.
The most common health issues are:
- Ich (white spot): Small white cysts on skin and fins, caused by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Stress and temperature drops are the main triggers. Maintain stable temperature within 23–28 °C (73–82 °F) and avoid chills.
- Fin and skin erosion / bacterial infection: Often follows barbel damage from sharp substrate, or injury from netting. The fix is sand substrate and careful handling.
- Intestinal parasites: Wild-caught fish sometimes arrive with internal worms; quarantine new fish for at least two weeks and observe for weight loss or abnormal behaviour.
- Fungal infections: Secondary infections on wounds or areas of poor water quality. Excellent filtration and regular water changes are the primary prevention.
Health note: Medication dosing, parasite identification and disease diagnosis are outside the scope of a care profile. If you suspect illness, confirm symptoms against a reputable veterinary or fish-health reference before treating. Always research whether a specific medication is safe for scaleless or lightly-scaled loaches at the recommended dose before use.
How long do Black Kuhli Loaches live?
With good care, Black Kuhli Loaches live 5–10 years. They are genuinely long-lived for a small community fish, which makes the investment in proper setup worthwhile. The keys to reaching the upper end of that range are consistent water quality, a sandy substrate that keeps barbels healthy, a group of at least five for social stability, and steady, varied feeding. Fish that are stressed by poor substrate, kept solo or in pairs, or housed in hard alkaline water rarely approach their potential lifespan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Black Kuhli Loach and the regular Kuhli Loach?
The standard kuhli loach (Pangio kuhlii) has prominent dark vertical bands over a pale or pinkish body, while Pangio oblonga is a uniform deep black or dark brown with no banding at all. They are separate species with nearly identical care requirements, so the main distinction is appearance.
Do Black Kuhli Loaches need to be kept in groups?
Yes — groups of five or more are strongly recommended. In smaller numbers they hide constantly and rarely venture out. A group of five to eight fish in a well-planted tank with a sandy bottom will be active at dusk and dawn, foraging visibly along the substrate.
What you need to keep a black kuhli loach
The baseline is a heated, filtered 60 L+ tank: a reliable heater to hold 23–28 °C (73–82 °F), a gentle filter that won't batter a black kuhli loach in the current, and a tight-fitting lid. Cycle the tank fully before adding any fish.
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