Having kuhli loaches in your home aquarium can be an excellent experience. These fish are truly interesting and many fish tank enthusiasts love them.
They have an odd appearance that makes them stand out from other fish in the tank. Many people love to put these fish in community aquariums because they’re rather peaceful.
If you want to buy some kuhli loaches, it’s likely that you’ll want to know about the costs associated with owning them. Are kuhli loaches expensive to own or are they affordable fish?
Read on to learn everything you need to know about the cost of kuhli loaches. You’ll learn about how much the fish themselves cost as well as the price of everything that you’ll need to provide them with an adequate living environment.
The Cost of the Fish
Kuhli loaches are rather inexpensive fish. You’re not going to have to pay much money to get these fish, but the prices can vary based on different factors.
Common kuhli loaches are likely going to cost around $5.00 per fish. Sometimes they might cost a little more or a bit less.
More exotic types of kuhli loaches could cost more per fish. The less common the fish is, the more money you’ll need to pay to procure it.
There are other types of kuhli loaches that look a bit different than common kuhli loaches. For example, there are striped kuhli loaches, silver kuhli loaches, and black kuhli loaches.
You might pay slightly more for these fish, but many of them are rather inexpensive as well. Don’t expect to pay much cash for these fish.
One thing to keep in mind is that you’re not supposed to buy just one fish. These fish don’t do well in groups that are too small.
You aren’t supposed to keep them alone and you’re not meant to keep them in pairs. It’s said that three kuhli loaches should be the minimum number in a fish tank.
They do best when kept in groups of six or more, though. Keep this in mind and factor it into the total cost so you can plan ahead.
The Cost of the Tank
Buying a fish tank is going to cost a good bit of money, but you can find good deals at various aquarium stores and pet stores. Kuhli loaches like to be kept in tanks with more than enough room.
Technically, you can fit three kuhli loaches in a 20-gallon fish tank. However, the fish would be more comfortable being kept in a 29-gallon tank.
Try to go a little larger if you can so the fish can be comfortable. Larger tanks make it less likely that the fish will get stressed.
Also, it’s easier to keep bigger fish tanks clean. If you happen to want to put kuhli loaches in a community tank, go with a much larger tank so you can accommodate the other fish without making the kuhli loaches feel cramped.
A 29-gallon fish tank will cost somewhere around $100.00. You might find a deal and pay a bit less or you might pay a bit more.
The Cost of Accessories and Equipment
There are things that you’ll need for the tank so that it will keep the fish safe. You’re going to need common pieces of equipment such as a filter, a heater, and an air pump.
Kuhli loaches can survive without an air pump, but they do best when an air pump is present in the tank. A filter is imperative because it helps to keep the fish tank clean.
The heater will ensure that the water temperature will remain stable. Temperature fluctuations in the tank can stress the fish and that is something you want to avoid.
Buying all of the equipment that you need might cost around $100.00, but it depends on what you buy. It could cost more or less money depending on which brands you buy.
Kuhli loaches don’t need incredibly powerful filters. They don’t like strong currents so you should set the flow output accordingly so the fish won’t become stressed.
Aside from tank equipment, you’re also going to need accessories. Kuhli loaches are shy fish that like to have hiding spots in the tank.
To keep them comfortable, it’s important to place many hiding spots in the aquarium. So you’ll want to buy little caves and driftwood for the tank.
It’s also best to keep live aquarium plants in the tank. These aquatic plants will make the fish feel more comfortable in many ways.
Commonly, people buy anubias plants, java moss, and java ferns for fish tanks with kuhli loaches. It’s also common to purchase floating plants such as hornwort plants.
You might spend $100 or more on plants and hiding spot decorations. Be sure to have enough in the tank so the fish will feel comfortable.
Finally, you’ll need aquarium sand to act as the substrate material. These fish need fine aquarium sand as the substrate because they like to burrow.
If you use a harsh substrate material it can harm the fish. Aquarium sand is inexpensive and can be purchased at pet stores and aquarium stores.
The Cost of Food
Buying food for the fish shouldn’t be overly pricey either. These fish eat many different things, but you’ll be feeding them sinking nutritional pellets or wafers most of the time.
This type of fish food comes in containers that cost $13.00 or so. You’ll also be spending money on supplemental foods.
It’s important to feed these fish some protein-rich foods every so often. You want to give them foods such as bloodworms, microworms, and brine shrimp.
They’ll also eat blanched veggies. Kuhli loaches seem to love many types of greens.
It’s fine to feed them kale, lettuce, cabbage, and spinach. Just remember to wash the veggies first and cut them up properly.
You might spend $50 or so on kuhli loach food in total depending on what you get. So the overall cost of the food won’t be too bad.
When feeding these fish, you’re meant to give them as much as they can eat in two minutes. You never want to overfeed the fish because they can experience digestive issues.
Feed kuhli loaches twice per day. Stick to a good feeding schedule and you shouldn’t have any problem keeping these fish healthy.
The Cost of Maintenance
The cost of maintaining a fish tank with kuhli loaches won’t be too much. It’s the same as the average costs for other freshwater fish.
Expect to spend around $400.00 per year on general maintenance costs. The exact cost might be slightly less or slightly more depending on various factors.
For example, the price of fish food will fluctuate over time. Also, the cost of some parts for the fish tank might go up or down over the years.
Even so, it’s good to know that these are affordable fish to own. They won’t cost you any more money than other average freshwater fish.
Final Thoughts
Now you have a much better idea of what it takes to own kuhli loaches. Kuhli loaches are fantastic fish to own that many people will love, and you won’t need to break the bank to get them.
The fish themselves don’t cost too much at all. It’s very likely that you will pay $5.00 per fish or less. You need to buy at least three of them for the tank, but many say that buying six is much better.
A 29-gallon fish tank can be purchased for around $100.00. Then you’ll spend a bit of cash buying equipment for the tank as well as fish tank accessories.
Do your best to look for deals at local aquarium stores to save money. Even if you don’t find things that are on sale, it’s unlikely that you’ll spend an exorbitant sum to get what you need.
Don’t hesitate if you think that buying kuhli loaches will be fun. They’re peaceful fish that are great options for newcomers to the hobby.
You can even keep them in community aquariums easily. Just note that maintaining a community aquarium is likely to cost a little bit more money per year.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.