# Kuhli loach question.



## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

My 5 kuhli loaches in my 20h always freak out when I turn on the tank lights. They freak out so bad that I had to move my betta into my 5 gallon. Is this normal? The tank is bare bottom cuz they kept getting stuck in the gravel.


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## FancyFish (Jul 22, 2015)

Kuhli loaches are easily startled by light, add some type of floating plants to defuse the light. 

They do burrow into the substrate as part of their natural behavior.

How is the tank setup? Aside from being bare bottom.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

It has a few large floating plants but not enough to make a difference. Would a bunch of duckweed be able to block out some of the lighting?


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## mambee (Jul 19, 2013)

I would add a sand substrate and some driftwood and rocks so that they have a place to hide. They must feel really exposed in a bare bottom tank.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I agree, give them some sand to burrow into.


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## welok (Jul 20, 2015)

Duckweed will block out the light. In an aquarium it is easily containable, but know that we have it in the irrigation pond back home, and it has overgrown the 3 acre pond to the point we had to use paraquat (and diquat before it was banned in the US). Just be careful of where you dispose of any "extra" duckweed. 

As far as them "getting stuck", are you sure they were actually stuck, or just didn't want to come out and play?


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

The main reason I made it a bare bottom was because I was afraid they would get stuck in the gravel if I put it in there. The duckweed, I have a plan for disposing of it, just heat it up in the micro wave for 5 minutes. Now if I can only find some duckweed. My LFS won't get it cuz they say it is hard to get rid of :/. I am pretty sure they were stuck cuz their tail was out one end and their head was the other end and they were squirming. I will get some black sand the next time I go to petco. I will be able to get some driftwood from another tank.


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## FancyFish (Jul 22, 2015)

big b said:


> The main reason I made it a bare bottom was because I was afraid they would get stuck in the gravel if I put it in there. The duckweed, I have a plan for disposing of it, just heat it up in the micro wave for 5 minutes. Now if I can only find some duckweed. My LFS won't get it cuz they say it is hard to get rid of :/.
> I am pretty sure they were stuck cuz their tail was out one end and their head was the other end and they were squirming.
> I will get some black sand the next time I go to petco. I will be able to get some driftwood from another tank.


They burrow into the substrate as part of their natural behavior. Normal

You can add hornwort or anacharis as floaters.


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## mambee (Jul 19, 2013)

I hear that duckweed does a good job of sopping up excess nitrates. I have it in my 90 and 150 gallon tanks and I am constantly scooping out cupfuls of it because it multiplies so quickly.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

Ok once I find a pet store that has some duckweed I will get some.


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## welok (Jul 20, 2015)

big b said:


> Ok once I find a pet store that has some duckweed I will get some.


Next time I go home, I'll swing by and grab some for you if you want.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

Thanks but another member (vreugy) is being so kind and sending me some once the weather cools down a bit here. You can if you want though.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Dude, had I known a few days ago, I cleaned the top of the hex... I got a huge net full.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

Ha the story of my life, I am always a bit to late or a bit to early.I once saw a beautiful betta at a pet store but I didn't get it that day and the next time I came in it was gone. A similar situation happened. I knew petco got it's shipments in on wednesday and thursday so I went on wednesday and apparently they only get the saltwater shipment on wednesday so I went back next week on thursday and the fish I had wanted was gone. I had wanted a male bristlenose pleco. I eventually did get the male bn pleco.


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## vreugy (May 1, 2013)

Hang in there Brian. It can't stay this hot forever. (102 tomorrow). In a couple weeks, it should cool some. I just threw out 6 cups of duckweed. It was blocking the light from most of my plants. Not to worry though, I saved some and by the time it is cool enough to ship, there will be more than enough. OH, I like your idea of using the micro wave to kill excess duck weed. I let it dry out and burned it. Your snails are doing fine too.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

That is awesome, actually I got the idea of killing the duckweed that way from something I saw online.


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