Cory catfish can be an amazing addition to the tank, along with Kuhli loach. I always fantasized about keeping two bottom feeders together in the same tank, especially regarding Kuhli loach. And to me, Corydoras catfish would have been a better option. But, like you, I was unaware that they co-exist in the same tank. So many questions hampered my mind, and one of them was screaming the loudest. Can Kuhli Loach live with Cory Catfish?
Yes, Kuhli loach will happily live with Cory’s catfish in the aquarium without any issues or starting an aquarium war. Both of these bottom-dwellers are peaceful fish making a living together way easier than you think.
However, keeping these fish in the smaller tank is a big no, and you always need to choose a bigger tank for these Kuhli loach and Cory catfish to thrive together.
Along with that, Cory catfish asks for a shoal of its own, while Kuhli loach, despite being non-schooling fish, asks for a group of its own.
You need to learn more about the compatibility of Cory catfish and Kuhli loach and what you need to do for their tank.
Hence, I suggest you read the article below to understand this topic. I have tried to explain everything under different subheadings.
Can Kuhli Loach Live With Cory Catfish?
Yes, Kuhli loach can live with Cory Catfish even though both of them are bottom-dwellers. You won’t have a problem keeping these together in the tank until and unless the tank you have is big enough for both of them to swim around.
Kuhli loach will be busy scavenging through the bottom of the tank but at night. They will mostly enjoy the digging and burying act in the tank to disturb anyone else.
Freshwater Buddies
Kuhli loach is the best tank mate for almost every freshwater aquarium fish. So, when it comes to Cory catfish, they will not let you down.
Size
Cory catfish are smaller than Kuhli loaches. Hence, you might have a problem keeping them together.
Behavior
Both of these fish are peaceful and show no aggression toward each other, even though both will encounter each other at the bottom of the tank.
Neither will Cory pose any threat or risk factor for the Kuhli loach, nor your Kuhli loach will act irrationally without creating any fuss.
The mellow nature of fish and the near similarity in size compatibility make them a better pair of tank mates.
Does Kuhli Loach Get Along With Cory Catfish?
Well, if you are considering making their school together, that’s a big no. Bad joke. I know you didn’t mean that with the question. Sorry for that, and let’s move into the real topic now.
Your Kuhli loaches are extraordinarily amazing fish when it comes to living with another fish in the tank. You can happily keep any fish in the Kuhli loach tank until and unless the other fish is not a predator big enough to attack Kuhli loach.
How Many Kuhli Loaches and Cory Catfish Should You Keep?
I have kept my 6 Kuhli loaches with 6 Corydoras in the 30-gallon tank, and they seem to be doing fine from the year and a half.
There is no fuss or complaints from their side; neither am I here complaining about them.
At first, I had not thought that these two bottom-dwellers would happily adjust in the same tank.
But to my surprise, I still have all of them swimming happily in the tank according to their schedule to come out. Not that Kuhli loach will bless me with their presence during the day.
However, even when the lights are on, I have seen them coming out for food. I know that this is a sign that they are comfortable in the tank.
Don’t worry. Cory catfish and Kuhli loach can live together in the tank and get along quite well. You might even be surprised by the way they behave with each other.
Things You Need To Look At To Keep Kuhli Loach And Cory Catfish Together
You may think you will be okay with keeping these two together in the tank without thinking about anything else.
But that’s not it. You have to think more about what they will ask to live happily in the aquarium. Even the slightest miss in the tank requirements can make your fish rebel and make it hard for you.
And, of course, the competition for survival that follows will leave you with questions. Do not try to risk anything while keeping two bottom-dwellers together.
You may not like the result that it takes place when you fail to give a good environment to these fish. I will list the important things in the tank with Kuhli loach and cory catfish.
Tank Size
You cannot keep these fish together in the smaller tank even though the cory catfish are smaller in size. Cory grows up to 2 inches in size while Kuhli loach reaches 4 inches.
Smaller tank sizes can stress both of these fish in the tank as both ask for space to swim around. You will kill your fish if you house them in a smaller tank with a narrow bottom.
At least, go for a 30-gallon tank for the group of Kuhli loach and shoal of Cory catfish. They will happily coexist in the tank with that capacity and an appropriate number.
Groups Of Kuhli Loach And Cory Catfish
Although Kuhli loaches are not schooling or shoaling fish, they will feel lonely and depressed when they are kept alone.
Hence, never ever think about keeping Kuhli loaches alone just because you think they will not need other members as the schooling fish.
Similarly, your Cory catfish is a shoaling fish, so keeping one of them in a tank is out of the question. You will at least need to keep a shoal and a group of Cory catfish and Kuhli loach, respectively, in the tank.
Kuhli loach will be happy in a group of 5 or 6, while the shoal of Cory catfish is ideal when the number is 6.
Do not experiment, keeping only one of each together to see if they will coexist and make a shoal or school.
That’s never going to happen, and they will continuously keep hinting at their group’s need in the tank.
You will be killing your fish with loneliness and depression when you keep only one of each in the tank with no group or shoal.
Sand Aquarium Substrate
Both of these fish prefer the sand substrate as bottom-dwellers often find joy in hiding and digging.
Kuhli loach digs the substrate and buries themselves when they feel like it or are scared. Similarly, Cory catfish need a softer substrate to avoid getting injured while scavenging the bottom of the tank.
Wounds and injury can lead to something serious. Hence it would help if you avoided sharp objects and substrates that can hurt your bottom dwellers.
These are the best aquarium sand substrates that I have worked with:
- Carib Sea ACS05820 Super Natural Moonlight Sand for Aquarium, 5-Pound
- Carib Sea ACS05840 Super Naturals Crystal River Sand for Aquarium, 5-Pound
Frequently Asked Questions
I have also answered some of the frequently asked questions about Kuhli loach that will help you to raise Kuhli loach properly in the aquarium.
What Fish Can Live With Kuhli Loach?
Kuhli Loach is a peaceful bottom-dweller that will not mind the presence of any fish in the tank until and unless it is aggressive and bottom-dwelling.
Their coping mechanism for bullying tank mates is to go into hiding by digging the substrate and making a burrow.
This can hamper the mental health of your fish, so be careful before dropping any fish in the Kuhli loach tank.
These Kuhli loaches do well with peaceful species that are of the same size as these fish. You need to ensure none of the fish end up hurting your Kuhli loach at the bottom.
Honestly, there is a very thin possibility for any freshwater fish to create war with the nocturnal and shy fish like Kuhli loach.
I will recommend some of the fish and other aquatic beings you can keep in the Kuhli loach tank without any issues whatsoever.
- Medium-sized Tetras
- Oto Catfish
- White Cloud Mountain Minnows
- Big Shrimps
- Danios
- Gourami
- Rasboras
- Red Cherry Shrimp
Do Kuhli Loaches Clean Tank?
Yes, Kuhli loach will most probably clean your tank if the only thing causing your tank to get dirty is leftovers. Apart from that, you cannot rely on them to eliminate algae from the aquarium.
Kuhli loach is one of the proud members of the Clean-up crew when it comes to cleaning the bottom of the tank. Learn more about this here!
They are famous for eating the leftovers that other fish present in the tank could not finish. These scavenging bottom feeders go on an adventure every night to search for food and to dig the substrate.
Hence, they will eat anything they can find in the bottom of the tank, including leftover dead fish, soft algae, their food like pellets, wafers, etc.
These loaches will also eat algae present on the smooth rocks at the bottom of the tank. But do not keep them for this very purpose on the tank.
They may eat a few algae occasionally, scavenging through the bottom and busy munching everything they can find. But these Kuhli loaches will not completely eat the algae present there.
Conclusion
Briefly, Cory catfish and Kuhli loach are both bottom-dwellers and might come across each other when they are kept in the tank together. But both of these bottom-feeders are peaceful and won’t make life hard for each other. Kuhli loach loves to stay in a group of 5 or 6 while Cory catfish needs to be in a shoal of 6. Remember, cory catfish are shoaling fish, so they must not be alone in the tank. Kuhli loach will need their members in the tank despite not being schooling or shoaling fish.
You must be careful about the tank size and the aquarium plants if you want to keep these bottom-dwellers together. Make sure to feed them separately and see if they have less food. You may see Cory catfish more often compared to the nocturnal Kuhli loach.
You won’t have any problem keeping them together until and unless you follow my instructions. If you still face any difficulties or queries, ping me in the comment section below. I will get back to you as soon as I am done moderating the comments.
Good Luck!!!
Happy Fishkeeping!!!
