Black Kuhli Loach

The black kuhli is the single-colored relative of the banded kuhli: its body is a plain color ranging from dark chocolate brown to black. Under light, faint reddish-brown reflections may be visible. Adults reach 7–8 cm.

It is very gentle and long-lived. During the day it likes to hide in the sand or among plant roots; in the evening and at night it comes out as a group and combs the bottom. Scientifically, it is still debated whether it is a single species or several very similar species.

It lives in Southeast Asian forest streams, along swamp edges and in slow-flowing waters covered in leaf litter. The water is soft, acidic and tea-colored from tannins; the bottom is soft mud and sand.

• Volume: at least 60 liters for a group of 5–6; floor area is important.
• Water: 22–26°C, pH 5–7, soft water. A 25% water change every week.
• Substrate: Fine, soft sand is essential; it buries itself. It gets injured on sharp gravel.
• Decor: Roots, dried leaves, dense plants, and dim light with floating plants.
• Escapes: It slips through very narrow gaps. Gaps in the lid should be closed and a sponge fitted over the filter intake.

It feeds by sifting small organisms on the bottom out of the sand. Sinking granules and tablets should be the staple; frozen bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp and daphnia should be given regularly. Feeding just before the lights go out ensures it gets its share.

Extremely peaceful; it harms no fish. It may only eat eggs and very small fry. In a dim aquarium with plenty of hiding places it is seen in the daytime too.

Good companions: rasboras, small tetras, dwarf gouramis, corydoras, otocinclus, kuhli and other Pangio species, shrimp (it leaves adults alone).

Avoid: large fish that could swallow it, aggressive cichlids that claim the bottom, aggressive botias.

The black kuhli should be kept in a group: at least 5–6, ideally 8 or more individuals. Kuhlis rest entwined with each other in the same shelter. It can also form mixed groups with other Pangio species. The sex ratio is unimportant.

It rarely breeds in the aquarium. Fry that grew up on their own have been reported in densely planted, mature aquariums; spawning behavior has not been observed in detail. Floating plant roots and dense clumps of plants provide shelter for the fry.

• White spot: Its scales are very small; half-dose medication and a slow temperature increase are preferred for treatment.
• Cases of loss: Most "disappearances" are caused by escaping into the filter or out through the lid.
• Substrate wounds: Sharp gravel causes wounds to the belly and barbels.

Females are larger and plumper. In mature males the first ray of the pectoral fin is thick and branched, and the fin looks larger.