Do Kuhli Loaches Eat Snails? Knowpia

Loaches are small eel like fish that comes from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. You can identify this fish by its prickle near the eye that gives it protection against predators. There are more than 1043 species of loaches in the world with 50 of them being used as aquarium pets. Of these, only a few eat snails. These tend to be the larger and stronger forms of loaches. However, many people still ponder on the question ‘do kuhli loaches eatsnails?’ read on to discover the answer.

Can kuhli loaches actually eat snails?

Kuhli loaches are a kind of aggressive fish that will eat anything that is available to be eaten. However, it is important to note that kuhli loaches are small and will only consume food that is smaller than their bodies. These fishes can even consume smaller fish.

From the above, we can comfortably conclude that kuhli loaches will eat smaller snails. So long as the kuhli loaches can handle the snail size, they will surely eat them.

Length and longevity

Kuhli loaches normally grow to the length of 12 centimeters. However, it is hard to see one that has grown to this length. This is because kuhli loaches come in a variety of species that vary in length. The lifespan of the loaches is about 10 years.

Water conditions

As we said above, kuhli loaches are found in equatorial regions. They live in warm water of between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius. This is the most suitable temperature for the fish but it can survive in slightly higher or lower temperature than this. In its natural environment, the fish is found in slow moving streams with a sandy bottom and a lot of organic matter. As a result, the water in these streams is slightly soft and acidic.

If you want to keep kuhli loaches in your aquarium, you should have water with a hardness of up to 7.5. The water should also be clean with very little fish waste in it. To ensure this, you should have the aquarium cleaned as often as possible.

Substrate

Kuhli loaches love river sand and fine pebbles in an aquarium. This is because kuhli loaches will not only search the surface of the sand for food; they will also go right into it. The fish dive in between pebbles and under the sand to avoid getting caught by predators.

Food

Kuhli loaches prefer animal based food. You can feed them with pellets and flakes. Their favorite bites seem to be frozen warms and brine shrimp. You should ensure that the food reach the bottom of the aquarium for successful feeding.