Breeding a fish in the home aquarium can be a real deal and a headache too if you don’t know what to do. And of course, if you get successful with the breeding, there comes the time where you have to count chicken before they hatch. Meaning, you have to get yourself prepared for a fact about the number of fries you will be getting in the tank. While Kuhli loach is known to lay too many eggs, there are very few numbers of people who know how many are going to hatch. This is what you have to actually ask.
How many Kuhli loach eggs usually hatch?
Ans: Kuhli loach lays nearly 500 to 600 eggs but most of them will not survive. Hence, only 300 to 400 of those eggs of Kuhli Loach will hatch after 2 days of fertilization. And this is a rare scenario as you will most probably end up with 10 to 50 Kuhli loach fry only.
Several things will play a vital role in destemming the number of Kuhli loach eggs that will hatch. You will have to be careful as breeding them is one hell of climbing mount Everest while taking care of the eggs that will be crossing the Sahara Desert.
I have tried to collect all the questions that we wonder about when we are taking care of Kuhli loach eggs and waiting for them to hatch.
Read the article below to know more about this topic.
How Many Kuhli Loach Eggs Usually Hatch?
It can be quite amazing to see your Kuhli loach laying eggs but it is quite rare for you to essentially witness it.
Very few things will act as the trigger for the Kuhli loach to start spawning and when they do, you will be surprised with the number of eggs in the tank.
Although there will be hundreds of eggs in the tank, only a few of them will fertilize and even fewer ones will hatch properly.
To be precise, the number of Kuhli Loach eggs that will usually hatch is often less than 400. I know this may seem a lot but if we compared it to the number of eggs your Kuhli Loach lays, it does not seem that big.
And truthfully speaking, the survival rate of the hatched eggs or eggs, in general, is quite low. Only 10 to 50 of the hatched eggs are known to survive in the tank mostly.
Even though 50 also seems like a large number, it is quite less compared to the case where all the hatched fry survive.
The highest number of eggs that will hatch from the one batch of breeding can be up to 400; while the lowest number of Kuhli loach eggs that will hatch is around 10 to 50.
This is all you need to know if you are planning to breed Kuhli loach in the tank. Breeding these loaches and taking care of the eggs can be a real deal and burdensome workload.
When Will The Kuhli Loach Eggs Hatch?
First of all, spawning and fertilization of eggs in the case of Kuhli Loach is the hardest and one of the near to impossible things to try in the home aquarium.
However, there is always a loophole to make things happen. A simple hint of the rainy season in the tank will trigger the spawning and the female Kuhli loach that is already full of eggs will lay them on the roots of the plants.
Once the female Kuhli loach lays the eggs and the male Kuhli loach fertilizes them, you have to wait for a few days for them to fertilize.
Remember not all the eggs will fertilize, hence the number of fry that will hatch from the eggs can be quite low than expected.
And, you have to wait for 48 hours or even less than 2 days for the Kuhli loach eggs to hatch. Truthfully, after 3 days of hatching, you will find Kuhli loach fry happily swimming around in the tank.
Can Kuhli Loaches Reproduce?
People often question this and honestly I laugh it off most of the time. How cannot Kuhli loach reproduce? You tell me if they were unable to reproduce, where does the Wild Kuhli loach come from?
Although it is a stupid question to ask, I can understand why people often wonder about them. You won’t be able to witness the spawning or egg-laying in the case of Kuhli loach customarily.
But, Yes, Kuhli loach can reproduce and are egg-layers naturally. The thing is they are quite hard to breed in the home aquarium.
You have to create an ideal environment along with the feeling of the rainy season to even trigger the spawning.
Most of the time, Kuhli loach will spend their entire life without even reproducing once. And if they do, they will do when you expect the least.
Hence, the question is quite understandable if you see it like this. A real challenge to breed the Kuhli loaches in the tank makes it harder for the aquarist to reproduce it in the first place.
You are lucky if you are able to trigger the spawning and end up with eggs as well as newly born Kuhli loaches.
How Many Eggs Will Kuhli Loach Lay?
Kuhli loach reaches sexual maturity after they reach the size of 2 inches after 2 years. Hence, the chances of you getting a tankful of fries and eggs in quite high if the tank condition is optimum for Kuhli loach to spawn.
You might not be mentally prepared to handle these many eggs to hatch. That’s why this is the most important aspect of breeding Kuhli loach.
I have been there and faced reality head-on. Trust me, I was well-prepared mentally and figuratively to take care of these small eggs of Kuhli loach.
But when the time came and my Kuhli loaches actually spawned and laid eggs, I was more stressed than excited. The number of eggs on the roots of the plants in the tank really did a number on me.
Can you believe me if I say there were nearly 500 plus eggs in the tank? I was stunned and panicking because I was not prepared to handle these many eggs at once.
Here is what happens when your Kuhli loach is done spawning. Both male and female Kuhli loach will go down to the bottom of the tank near the roots of plants.
There, your female Kuhli loach will lay nearly 500 to 600 eggs and the male Kuhli loach will fertilize them.
This number is way over the top and can be scary if you are dealing with the Kuhli loach eggs for the first time.
Don’t worry not all of them will hatch, and even the ones that will hatch will barely survive. But if you are looking for a way to make a profit out of it, then it is better to take necessary measures immediately.
Where Do Kuhli Loaches Lay Eggs?
The habit follows you wherever you go. And the same thing happens with the Kuhli loaches even when it comes down to breeding.
They will search for similar conditions as the wild top even start spawning let alone reproduction. These loaches will search the same places to lay eggs on as well.
In the wild, Kuhli loach lays eggs on the shallow water with quite dense vegetation. Hence, you will have to mimic similar places for them if you are planning to breed them.
These Kuhli loaches will lay eggs on the roots of the floating plants in the tank. You need to keep quite a lot of live floating plants in the tank.
Once these Kuhli loaches are done spawning, both of them will head towards the bottom of the tank. This is where the roots of floating plants lie.
That’s why it is often a good idea to keep a little extra dose and numbers of plants in the Kuhli loach tank. If you want to induce breeding in these fish, this is one of the cleverest tricks you can apply.
I have also written an article on 9 Low Light Aquarium Plants for Beginners | Benefits of Aquarium Plants
What Does Kuhli Loach Eggs Look Like?
Usually, the eggs are quite easy to detect on the tank. Thanks to the huge number of eggs that Kuhli loach lays.
The large number of eggs staying together in a clutch is easier to find if you look closely towards the root of floating yet live plants.
Now, let’s talk about how these Kuhli loach eggs actually look like. Look for the greenish mass of gel-like or jelly-like eggs that often attach themselves to the roots of floating plants.
Kuhli loach eggs are too bright green that they are quite hard to even miss. Can you miss a big cluster of greenish eggs that are falling onto the java moss or attaching themselves to the roots?
These greenish clusters of eggs that female Kuhli loach lays will slowly sink towards the bottom of the tank.
Do Kuhli Loaches Eat Eggs?
Yes, Kuhli loach will eat their own eggs. This is the reason why experts suggest moving the eggs or parents immediately after the fertilization process.
Not that Kuhli loach is intentionally feeding on their own eggs but it is actually a force of habit. These fish are omnivores and will eat anything that will fit in their mouth.
Can you blame them for going according to nature? They will stay at the bottom of the tank and feed on anything they can find while moving around.
Kuhli loach will even eat up the eggs that are about to hatch and successfully fertilized. You cannot make them not eat those eggs until and unless you take those away from them.
How To Take Care Of Kuhli Loach Eggs And Fry?
The most important part of breeding is to save your eggs and newly born fry. It gets quite hard to save the eggs from the parents let alone other factors on the tank.
Even the slightest jerk to the eggs can prevent the hatching and birth of new fry. You need to be extra careful with every little detail related to saving the eggs.
You see, even the pregnancy can leave your female Kuhli loach weak and fragile. Maintaining the tank conditions to optimum all the time and feeding good food will assure the proper egg-laying and fertilization.
Do not compromise while your Kuhli loach is carrying the eggs as the caring and saving your eggs starts from the very moment your female Kuhli loach pad with them.
After the spawning when the female Kuhli loach lays the eggs and the male fertilizes them, this is time you have to start your savior phase.
There are few things that you have to do in order to keep the eggs as well as the fry safe from the adults as well as other tank factors.
- Add Spawning mops in the bottom of the tank where your eggs will be safe and sound from the adults.
- You can try to move the eggs away from the bigger fish before the adults make them their snacks.
- Separate the eggs and parents as soon as you see eggs in the tank.
- Maintain the tank conditions optimum all the time without any fluctuation.
- Keep the lighting as dim as possible.
- Feed the newly born fry a good diet after few days and continue to maintain the water parameters and good diet.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have tried to answer some of the few FAQs that people often ask and get confused about. Hope this helps.
How Many Kuhli Loaches Should Be Kept Together?
Kuhli loaches are quite small compared to other bigger fish and quite adjusting as well. They will grow up to three to four inches.
Hence, as per the one gallon per inch rule, you can keep nearly 4 to 6 Kuhli loaches in the 20 gallons tank.
These fish have quite a low bio load and won’t give you a headache and extra workload to clean the tank more often.
Thus, even with 6 of them in the tank, the way you can care about them can be easier than you think. They will happily live in the 20 gallons without making any fuss.
But you are not confident about these many numbers, then try to go a little less. You can keep 4 Kuhli loach in the 20 gallons tank.
But remember do not try to keep them in the tank with a capacity of less than 15 gallons. They need space to grow and swim around to stay comfortable ad healthy.
Not that they are schooling fish or anything but they will feel comfortable in the group of 3 to six in the 20-gallons tank to even come out and swim around.
Here is an article you might be interested in How To Setup A 20-Gallon Fish Tank: Livestock and Equipment List [2020]
Conclusion
In conclusion, Kuhli loach would lay nearly 500 to 600 eggs but not all of them will fertilize. You will have to prepare your tank top to handle nearly 400 fries of Kuhli loach though. This number of Kuhli loach will be a real headache for you to take care of. You can ask your near pet store to take them away or sell them to make a profit.
Prepare a bigger tank and make sure the newly born fry will be safe in near future as well. It can be quite risky to maintain that many populations alone. To me, it was always scary to breed Kuhli loach in the home aquarium. I am over the fact that I will not be able to take care of these many fries.
If you follow the instructions carefully, you will be able to take care of your fry and adults Kuhli loach properly.
If you still have confusion related to this topic, drop the query in the comment box down below.
Good Luck!!!
