Kuhli Loach Care: The Ultimate Guide

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Do you love fish that are as cute as they are quirky? As funny as they are funky? If so, kuhli loaches may be the perfect addition to your aquarium! Unfortunately, these little guys are often taken care of incorrectly.

Most sources suggest you keep at least 3 kuhli loaches, but the truth is you need at least 10. They are ultra-social and love to cuddle, so three just won’t cut it for snuggling.

Additionally, many kuhli loaches sold as Pangio kuhlii are actually an entirely different species – most commonly P. semicincta.

Kuhli loaches (scientifically Pangio kuhlii,) have several relatives in the Pangio family. P. angilaris, P. oblonga, and P. shelfordi. The issue is, most distributors, vendors, and stores label them all as “kuhli loaches.” Eventhough kuhli loaches are obviously the common name for P. kuhli.

So there’s a chance you might’ve been duped by the catch-all common name.

Making matters more confusing for newcomers, “kuhli”, “coolie,” and “cooly” loach all mean the same thing.

Now that we’ve gotten the basic misconceptions out of the way, let’s talk about where most people go wrong, and what makes kuhli loaches so special!

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Table of contents

kuhli loach care

FAQ

Distribution & Natural Habitat

Kuhli loaches are found throughout Southeast Asia in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. They inhabit slow-moving rivers and streams with plenty of hiding spots among aquatic plants. The water is murky due to the presence of decomposing leaves and other organic matter.

In the hobby, this is called a blackwater habitat.

kuhli loach natural habitat

Because of this, you’ll also want to keep the tank on the darker side, you can do this by stuffing the tank with plants, adding leaf litter, or buying dimmable lights. Obviously, I’d suggest all three – but work with what’s most appealing to you and your budget!

Aquarium Care

Difficulty: Beginner
Size: 3″ (8 cm)
Lifespan: 10 years
Tank Size: 20 gallons (80 liters)
Diet: Omnivore – primarily carnivore
Temperature: 70 – 81 F (21 – 26 C)

pH3.5 – 7.0
Hardness: 0 – 9 dKH
Temperament: Peaceful
Breeding: Challenging
Swimming: Bottom to mid
Availability: Common

You’ll need (not want) a tank that has already been through the cycling process for these guys. They are hardy…ish fish, but they are highly susceptible to ammonia burn since they have no scales.

The cycling process will also give your plants time to develop a more robust root structure, which is important since kuhli loaches bury themselves in the sand and could dislodge new plants.

Tank Specs

A 20-gallon tank is ideal, a 20-long is even better. Even though you likely don’t see your kuhlis as super active creatures, they are at night and will get up to some wild antics. They are also great jumpers, so a secure lid is a must. As I said, these antics can get wild – but they don’t need to be fatal.

kuhli loach

There’s a chance, especially if you’re not breeding, that you won’t need a heater for kuhli loaches. As long as your house stays around 75F or 22C year-round. If you plan on housing them somewhere that might get a bit drafty, however, you’ll definitely want to opt for a heater. Since they’re not super rowdy, you won’t need to worry about an in-line heater, a simple submersible will suffice.

If you’d like more detailed information or more heaters to look at, you can check my detailed review of the best aquarium heaters.

Stocking

As I mentioned before, kuhli loaches are social fish that need to be kept in groups of at least ten. If you have fewer than ten, they will likely be stressed and hide all day. Not only does this mean you won’t get to see their cute little faces, but it can also lead to health problems. So do yourself (and your kuhlis) a favor and get a group of at least ten.

correct kuhli loach care means you need a group

These fish are peaceful and don’t tend to bother their tank mates (which is good news if you’re keeping them with other sensitive species). In fact, they often welcome attention, which makes them perfect community tank members.

Decor

You’ll want to use softer, finer-grained sand for your kuhli loach tank. Coarser sands can damage their barbels, which they use to help find food.  HTH pool filter sand works the best for me and is ridiculously cheap.

Again, you’ll want to keep the tank darker. You can do this by stuffing the tank with plants, adding a blackwater additive like Brightwell Blackwater, or adding leaf litter. If you’re a long-time reader of the site, you probably know I’m going to suggest Tannin Aquatics for any sort of botanicals you buy. (And, no, I’m not affiliated with them, I just use them personally because their range is drool-worthy.)

tannin aquatics selection

Kuhli loaches also love to hide, so be sure to give them plenty of places to do so. Paradoxically, the more spaces they have to hide, the more likely you are to see them. Lots of hiding spaces will assure them that, if needed, there’s a convenient place to get away so they’ll be more likely to explore.

kuhli loach hiding

Driftwood, rocks, and caves all make great additions to a kuhli loach tank. But keep in mind that they scoot under things, so make sure any rocks or decorations you add are securely placed. You don’t want anything toppling over and crushing your little kuhli colony!

Best Plants For Kuhli Loach

As I mentioned before, kuhli loaches love to hide, aren’t the biggest fans of overhead lighting, and need sand as a substrate. Obviously, none of this is super conducive to growing plants. So you’ll want to use plants that can create a dense environment but are hardy enough to still grow rapidly in those conditions. Some great options are:

Vallisneria

Vallisneria

Vals come in a ton of varieties, but most of them are about the same to grow. They can grow rapidly, and quickly cover your tank with lush, kelp-like forests for your fish. Some species, however, do grow much shorter than others.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Moderate
Temperature: 63 – 82 F (17 – 28 C)

pH: 6.5 – 8.5
Hardness: 3 – 30 dKH
Placement: Planted

Cabomba sp.

cabomba

There are several species of cabomba, the green is the easiest. It’s difficult to get in certain states because in some places it’s considered invasive. Somewhat ironically, we seem to struggle growing it in aquariums. If you can get your lighting high enough, it’s worth it.

Difficulty: Moderate
Growth: Moderate
Temperature:  72 – 82 F (22 – 27 C)

pH: 6.5 – 7.5
Hardness: 3 – 12 dKH
Placement: Floating or planted

Water Wisteria

Water wisteria is a fast-growing plant good for keeping ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites under control. It’s great for providing shelter for scared fish and fry, keeping cyanobacteria (aka blue-green algae) at bay, and has anti-microbial properties.

Difficulty: Bulletproof
Growth: Slow
Temperature:  64 – 86F (18 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness:  2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Anywhere, basically

Pennywort sp.

There are quite a few species of pennywort, but most have similar care requirements and grow quickly. Because they can be grown in or out of the water, in a variety of ways, and in a wide range of conditions, this makes them a super adaptable aquarium plant. They also make exceptional plants for summer tubs!

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Rapid
Temperature: 68 – 82 F (20 – 27 C)

pH: 6.0 – 7.8
Hardness: 3 – 25 dKH
Placement: Attached, planted, weighed down, or immersed

Salvinia

Salvinia

Salvinia is a fast-growing plant good for keeping ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites under control. It’s great for providing shelter for scared fish and fry, keeping the lighting intensity down. and making skittish fish feel more secure.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Fast
Temperature:  64 – 86F (18 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness:  2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Floating

Java Fern

Java Fern

Java fern is a nearly indestructible low light plant that can put up with tons of abuse. It doesn’t need Co2, fertilizers, or fancy soils. There are tons of lush, beautiful, jungle-like aquascapes you can create with it too!

Difficulty: Bulletproof
Growth: Slow
Temperature:  64 – 86F (18 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness:  2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Anywhere, basically

Java Moss

Java moss

Java moss is an almost bulletproof plant that requires almost no care. It doesn’t grow nearly as slowly as it’s java fern cousin, and can create lush moss beds that blow and billow in the current. They’re a great option for grazers, fry, or those of you with the blackest of thumbs.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Moderate
Temperature: 59 – 86F (15 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness: 3 – 12 dKH
Placement: Floating or attached

Anubias (Anubias barteri)

anubias barteri

The anubias barteri species has over 13 variants that call it home – so if you think you’ve seen them all, your probably wrong. They range in size, color, and shape, and are nearly guaranteed to be bulletproof. They don’t experience melt as often as most other immerse-grown aquarium plants and do well in low-tech setups – even with plant-munching fish. 

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Slow
Temperature: 72 – 82F (22 – 28C)

pH: 6.0 – 8.0
Hardness: 2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Floating or attached

Bacopa sp.

Bacopa

Bacopa comes in a variety of species and variants – some more demanding than others – but the least demanding is Bacopa carolinia. It is banned in a few states because of its invasive species status, but it makes a wonderful addition to most aquariums if you can get it.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Moderate
Temperature: 59 – 86F (15 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness: 3 – 12 dKH
Placement: Planted in substrate

Guppy Grass

guppy grass

Guppy grass is a great floating plant that adds depth, structure, and cover to any tank. It’s a super easy plant to grow and takes up tons of ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites, but – beware – it grows fast and can easily overrun your tank. Overall, it’s an amazing plant to have if water quality is your top concern.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Rapid
Temperature: 50 – 86F (10 – 30C)

pH: 6.0 – 7.0
Hardness: 2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Floating, planted, weighted

Of course, this isn’t a complete list. But it should be enough to get you going! If none of those fit your vibe, look for plants that can handle growing in sand, have low nutrient requirements, and do well in low-light situations.

Lighting & Filtration

Kuhli loaches need lower levels of light, so the type of light doesn’t matter. But dimable lights are a great option if you can afford to spend more money.

As for filtration, you’ll also want to make sure your filter has a gentle flow. Kuhlis are delicate fish and can easily be swept away by a strong current. A good rule of thumb is to aim for about turnover rate of four to six times per hour.

While kuhli loaches can handle the lower outputs of a canister filter, sponge filters of HMFs are a better way to go. A.) they’re cheaper than canister filters and b.) you won’t risk overdoing the current. But, as I said, a filter is a must with these guys. If you’re going to opt for a sponge or HM filter, you’ll also need an air pump to go with it.

While these guys can breathe atmospheric air like gouramis and betta species, they’ll appreciate disolved oxygen as well.

Water Care

Kuhli loaches don’t have scales. This makes them susceptible to ammonia burns, so it’s important to do weekly water changes. 25% water changes are suggested, but 10% every few days is even better. Stability is the best bet with these guys.

Kuhli loaches love water changes and you’ll see them become incredibly active after each water change. So if you’re struggling to enjoy your nocturnal noodles, give them a water change during the day and watch the tank spring to life!

coolie loach care

These are pretty low-maintenance fish, but if you want to go the extra mile, they will always welcome blackwater extract, botanicals, and other reminders of their home in the wild.

If you don’t want to go hard into the hobby, there are some basic meds and water care items every keeper should have on hand. General antibiotics, ammonia binders, aquarium salt, etc. just in case things get a bit hairy. I put together a handy shopping list for you in case you’re maybe less than prepared.

Feeding Kuhli Loach

Kuhli loaches are omnivores, so they’ll eat a little bit of everything. In the wild, they feed on small invertebrates, detritus, and algae. In captivity, they’ll accept most sinking pellets and frozen foods.

feeding kuhli loach

My personal favorite pellets to feed kuhlis are New Life Spectrum. They have a small pellet size that kuhlis can easily eat, and they’re packed with nutrients. I’ve also had great success feeding kuhlis frozen foods like brine shrimp, daphnia, and mysis shrimp. But they’ll relish the live versions of these as well!

As for how much to feed them, a good rule of thumb is to give them as much as they can eat in two minutes, two to three times per day. This might seem like a lot, but kuhlis are very active little fish and they burn through a lot of energy.

If you’re worried about overfeeding, consider using e an automated feeder if you feed pellets and find yourself struggling with the routine.

Kuhli Loach Diseases

While kuhli loaches are relatively hardy fish, they’re not immune to disease. The biggest disease concern with kuhli loaches is bacteria infection. This can happen when kuhlis are stressed, which is often a result of poor water quality. The best way to prevent this is to do regular water changes and make sure your filter is properly maintained.

But there are others as well.

Ammonia Burn

Ammonia burn is a result of too much ammonia being present in the water. This is, most commonly, seen as a result of shipping or new fishkeepers not knowing they need to cycle their tank. Much like with humans, fish can be burned by this chemical.

Symptoms:

  • Gasping at the surface
  • Lying at the bottom of the tank
  • Thick slime production
  • Changes in gill/skin color (red or black)

Causes:

  • Ammonia

Bacterial Infection

bacterial infection

Bacterial infection is a broad term, the bacteria family can cause a wide range of symptoms and come from varying causes. Generally, you can treat them with a broad spectrum antibacterial regardless of the particular bacteria at hand. It’s diagnosing that’s usually the hard part.

Making matters even more difficult, fish can have an internal or external bacterial infection.

Symptoms:

  • Red streaks
  • Red ulcers
  • Fuzzy growths
  • Pop eye
  • Bloating

Causes:

  •  Poor water quality
  • Food that’s gone bad
  • Keeping fish in inappropriate water parameters
  • Stress

Hemorrhagic Septicemia

Is a serious, highly contagious, and usually, fatal disease in fish caused by viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). It causes internal bleeding of the muscles and organs that, once bad enough, can be seen externally.

Symptoms:

  • Red, bloody-looking streaks
  • Bloody-looking patches
  • Gasping at the surface

Causes:

  • Viral hemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV)

Ich (White Spot Disease)

ich fish disease

Ich is caused by a parasite that, to many, looks like tiny white pimples across the fish. It can attach to the mouth, fins, body, and gills. You can usually see fish scraping themselves against objects (likely because parasites are itchy!) before white spots even appear.

Symptoms:

  • White spots
  • Scratching
  • Redness or bloody streaks

Causes:

  • Ichthyophthirius multifilis (parasite)

Velvet (Gold Dust Disease)

For whatever reason, bettas are particularly prone to velvet, but any tropical fish can get it. Velvet is caused by a surprisingly attractive-looking parasite that can easily go unnoticed until the fish dies from them.

Symptoms, not unlike ich, include itchiness, lethargy, rapid breathing, clamped fins, and obviously a gold dusting. Treating velvet can be done the same way that you’d treat ich.

Symptoms:

  • Brownish/gold discoloration
  • Scratching
  • Clamped fins
  • Skin peeling off
  • Labored breathing

Causes:

  • Oödinium pilularis (parasite)

Bloat

fish bloat

Bloat certainly doesn’t have to be as severe as the picture, but you get the idea. Bloating is an accumulation of gas, fluids, or unpassed food present in the fish. Although I have no proof, I suspect this is why most people search “how to tell if [insert fish species] is pregnant” even if they can’t get pregnant. There is a difference between a bloated fish and a fish that’s eaten too much – the fish that ate too much will act normal whereas the other usually won’t.

Symptoms:

  • Your fish’s stomach is distended without raised scales
  • Fish may appear to be in some sort of discomfort and avoid swimming or other usual activities
  • May not be pooping

Causes:

  • Intestinal blockage
  • Constipation
  • Internal bacterial infection
  • Internal growths/tumors

Fungal Infection

fungal infection

Fungal infections are a tricky bunch – not only do they have a huge family that presents a wide variety of species and symptoms – but some bacterial infections look strikingly similar to a fungus. 

If you’re not sure if you’re dealing with a fungus or a bacterial infection, I find it helpful to treat with Ich X and Erythromycin (provided it’s 100% erythromycin) at the same time to be sure I’m treating for both.

Symptoms:

  • Cottony growths on body, fins, eyes, and/or gills

Causes:

  • Prior untreated injury
  • Stress
  • Water quality-related issues
  • Prior untreated infection (bacterial, parasitic, etc.)

Kuhli Loach Tank Mates

One of the best things about kuhli loaches is that they can be kept with a wide variety of tank mates. But there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing tank mates for kuhlis. 

First, they’re active mostly at night. Which means you’ll want to look at fish that aren’t going to be easily stressed by their sleep cycle being interrupted. Second, kuhlis want to occupy the lower levels of your tank. Not that kuhlis mind an intrusion or two, but if you’re eyeing bottom-dwelling fish that are territorial, they wouldn’t be compatible. 

With that in mind, some good tank mates for kuhlis are:

Ember Tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae)

Ember Tetra

Ember tetras are bright, fun, tiny, shoaling fish that occur in South American black waters. They’re hardy, peaceful fish that are often described as active, bold, and playful. They also enjoy a planted tank, but be mindful that they do like to swim in open space, so be sure to include that in your layout. They enjoy their numbers a little higher than most shoaling species, 8 is recommended.

pH: 5.5 – 7
dKH: 1 – 10
Temp: 68 – 82 F (20 – 27 C)

Size: 3/4″ (2 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Top to midwater shoaling

Rummy-Nose Tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus)

rummy nose tetra

Rummies do best in shoals of eight or more, with ten or more being better. They don’t compete well with boisterous or food aggressive tankmates, but they’re a great community fish for a peaceful, well-planned tank.

pH: 5.5 – 7.0
dKH: 2 – 15
Temp: 76 – 80 F (24 – 27 C)

Size: 2″ (5 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Top to midwater shoaling

White Clouds (Tanichthys albonubes)

These fish are best kept in groups of eight or more, though 10 is better. There’s little information of just how far spread these fish are, but they’ve been observed slow-moving white and blackwater streams in and around China. 

pH: 6.0 – 7.0
dKH: 5 – 20
Temp: 60 – 72F (15 – 22C)

Size: 1.5 – 2″ (3 – 5 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful shoaling fish
Swimming: Mid to top

Clown Killi (Epiplatys annulatus)

clown killis

Clown killis, also called rocket killis, are a beautifully colored little fish that come from slow-moving waterways in southern Guinea. They’re usually quite outgoing, but make sure you buy at least eight of them so they can display their social behavior. 10 is even better.

pH: 4.0 – 7.0
dKH: 1 – 8
Temp: 68 – 79F (20 – 26C)

Size: 1.3″ (3 cm)
Temperament: Usually peaceful and active
Swimming: Mid to top

Norman’s Lampeye Killifish (Poropanchax normani)

Lampeye killifish

Norami killis, or Norman’s lampeye killifish, are non anual killifish (meaning they won’t die in a year) from Central and West Africa. It’s best to get these guys in schools of nine or more to see them at their best. Their blue “eye” nearly glows in the dark and is spectacular to see in person!

pH: 6.0 – 7.0
dKH: 4 – 15
Temp: 73° – 78° F (23° – 26° C)

Size: 1.6″ (4 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful, generally active
Swimming: Mid to top

Guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

Guppy Care

Guppies, despite commonly-held opinion, can be quite fragile when settling. They’re prone to spinal issues and often will miscarry even under ideal circumstances. Many newcomers often report their guppies die within the first week they bring them home. With that said, they’re beautiful, colorful, fun and rewarding fish once they get settled in your tank!

pH: 7.0 – 8.5
dKH: 8 – 30
Temp: 76 – 82F (24 – 27C)

Size: 2.5″ (6 cm)
Temperament: Most are nippy
Swimming: Everywhere they can

Corydoras (Corydora sp.)

Panda Cory Catfish

Corydoras are a shoaling species rarely kept appropriately. Some species can be seen in shoals numbering in the thousands in the wild! While this isn’t easily replicated in the home aquaria, most species are happy in groups of six or more like-minded cats to partrol the sand beds with.

Corydoras hasbrosus would be a particularly adorable addition  – although almost any corydora would do well, similarly agreeable in size would be pygmaeus, hastatus, or panda.

pH: 5.5 – 7.0 – species dependent
dKH: 3 – 10
Temp: 72 – 80 F (22 – 26 C) – species dependent

Size: 1 – 3.5″ (2.5 – 9 cm) – species dependent
Temperament: Peaceful, can be boisterous for less active species
Swimming: Bottom (except hastatus) in a shoal of 6 or more

Emperor Tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri)

emperor tetra

Emperor tetras are one of the best community tetras you can find. They’re hardy, easily adaptable, peaceful, and large enough to not be easily startled. They’re best kept in shoals of 6 or more, with 10 or more being better.

pH: 5.0 – 7.5
dKH: 1 – 12
Temp: 74 – 81 F (23 – 27 C)

Size: 2″ (5 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Top to midwater shoaling

Boesemani Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani)

boesemani rainbowfish

Boesemani rainbowfish are relatively large and pretty fast, they’re always hustling and bustling about. This makes them ideal for color and movement but makes them less than ideal for smaller, easily spooked species that want a quieter tank. They need to be kept in shoals of 8 or more.

pH: 7.0 – 8.0
dKH: 10 – 20
Temp:  81 – 86 F (27 – 30 C)

Size: 4.4″ (11 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Top to midwater shoaling

Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis)

paradise fish

Paradise fish, unlike most other gouramis, do best alone or in pairs. If you want to keep them in a group, and an all-female group of six or more would be your best bet. They tend to only be aggressive with each other, other anabantoid species, or towards much smaller tank mates.

pH: 6.0 – 8.0
dKH: 5 – 20
Temp: 72 – 80 F (22 – 27 C)

Size: 3.9″ (10 cm)
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Swimming: Everywhere

Congo Tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus)

congo tetra

Wild populations are endemic to the Congo River in Africa, but thankfully, we have plenty of captive-bred fish on the market. They do best in groups of at least six.

pH: 6.0 – 7.5
dKH: 3 – 18
Temp: 73 – 82 F (23 – 28 C)

Size: 3.2″ (8 cm) max
Temperament: Peaceful shoaler
Swimming: Mid to top

Nerite Snails (Neritina natalensis)

nerite snail

The most common complaint about snails is that they can reproduce like crazy, this is especially true for tanks with tons of leftovers! Nerite snails, however, can’t reproduce in freshwater so this isn’t a concern for the average aquarium. A simple remedy to keeping shrimp in soft water or water with little calcium is to add Tums to the tank for them to munch on to get their calcium fill.

pH: 7.0 – 8.9
dKH: 6 – 12
Temp: 70 – 80 F (21 – 27 C)

Size: 1″ (2 cm) although somewhat species dependent
Temperament: Peaceful
Swimming: Everywhere there’s food

Amano Shrimp (Caridina Multidentata)

amano shrimp

Most amano shrimp are wild-caught, so you’ll want to make sure you quarantine them properly before adding them to your tank, but they make peaceful and entertaining algae control crew. They’ll be at their best if they’re kept in groups of six or more.

pH: 6.5 – 7.9
dKH: 1 – 6
Temp: 65 – 76 F (18 – 24 C)

Size: 3″+ (7.5+ cm)
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Bottom & structured surfaces

Of course, this isn’t a complete list because kuhlis are pretty amicable! But if nothing in here strikes your fancy, your best bets would be peaceful, hardy, shoaling fish that can’t be swallowed whole, like corydoras, tetras, killifish, or rainbow fish.

Breeding Kuhli Loach

I’ve seen articles detailing how to breed kuhli loaches, but I’ve seen very few documented spawns in captivity. And most of them were reportedly by accident. By all accounts, caring for your kuhlis correctly should trigger them to spawn.

Most sources cite blackwater, higher temperatures, ample sized groups, and small water changes daily to trigger spawning. But, again, very few first-hand reports of intentional spawning have occured in captivity.

Types Of Kuhli Loaches

They’re not different types of “kuhlis” because, as we discussed, kuhli is the species, Pangio is the family. But if you’ve been particularly observant, you may have noticed some images of kuhlis that don’t look like the others in this article.

And that’s because they’re not! So let’s dive into the Pangio family.

pangio kuhli

Pangio Kuhli

You can see the striping here is more like blotches than stripes and they don’t continue all the way down to their stomach. They are rarely mislabled as semicincta, but semicincta are often mislabeled as kuhli.

pangio semicincta

Pangio Semicincta

Although their pattern varies based on their age, size, and numerous other factors, semicincta tend to have more striping than kuhli loaches. Often reaching all the way to their stomach when young, and becoming more segmented and blobish with age.

pangio shelfordi

Pangio Shelfordi

Shelfordi have pretty distinctive patterns ranging from leopard-like rosettes to lines and dashes. They’re rarely mislabeled as a kuhli, but ocassionally mislabeled as a “borneo loach,” which is the ccommon name for hillstream loaches.

Pangio Anguillaris

Anguillaris are even harder to mislabel due to their unique blue-grey coloring. They occasionally will have black markings on their lateral line, but most often don’t. They remind me of a cross between a dojo loach and a dragon goby.

Pangio Oblonga

P. Oblonga is also called a “black kuhli loach,” which is a bit of a misnomer, since they’re not kuhlis, they’re oblongas. But they’re rarely entirely mislabeled as kuhlis.

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