Kuhli loach can be quite weird and adventurous fish to keep. You cannot keep Kuhli loach and not wonder what the hell they are doing. I think you are familiar with the Kuhli loach going missing and, of course, the way you will find them digging in the tank out of the blue. Also, how your Kuhli loach will stay at the top of the tank all of a sudden might be some of the weirdest things, but there is one more to the list. The way these Kuhli loaches start to swim erratically and go crazy. But why is Kuhli loach swimming erratically? What makes them go crazy?
You will find Kuhli loach swimming erratically when there is something wrong with the tank. Also, they might be acting like that because they are happy and comfortable in the tank. Changes in the weather, water parameters, and their mood decide why Kuhli loach is swimming erratically all of a sudden.
Similarly, bright lighting, aquarium ammonia poisoning, nitrite intoxication, stress, bullying tank mates, etc., will make your Kuhli loach go crazy and behave irrationally.
You need to understand the difference between the change in mood and the change in water parameters that make your Kuhli loach swim around in the tank.
Here is an article that is entirely dedicated to the reasons and solutions for the Kuhli loach, which is swimming erratically.
Let’s dive in.
Why Is My Kuhli Loach Swimming Erratically?
Kuhli Loach is a peaceful fish and will not start to behave illogically without any certain reasons. Even if your Kuhli loach is swimming in the tank-like someone is chasing them, there might be something that is bothering your Kuhli loaches.
You cannot blame your Kuhli loach for everything that goes wrong with them. Most of the time, your carelessness results in problems related to Kuhli loach.
Here are some of the main reasons that will make your Kuhli loach swim erratically in the tank:
Change In Weather
The rainy season excites your Kuhli loach. This will even trigger spawning behavior in them. Hence, you will find them swimming together from one place to another frantically.
This happens when you create a monsoon in the tank, and your Kuhli loach gets ready to breed. Also, Kuhli loach often behaves irrationally and starts to swim faster when there is a certain change in weather.
Seasonal change can make your Kuhli loach excited and happy. Thus, out of excitement and happiness. They will start to dance around the tank.
Find out more about Ideal Water Temperature For Kuhli Loach.
Poor Water Quality
If your Kuhli loach is swimming around the tank and coming to the top of the tank more often, then there is a chance that they are searching for an escape. Why Does Kuhli Loach Stay At The Top Of The Tank? Find out in detail in our article about kuhli loach.
Your Kuhli loach will most certainly jump out of the tank if there is no aquarium lid. This all happens because of poor water quality.
Aquarium ammonia poisoning can be a curse to you and your aquarium fish. This will burn the Kuhli loach, and they will try everything possible to escape that environment.
What do you do when you get a little burnt while cooking or doing something? You will most probably jump or scream in pain.
Now, imagine that burn in the whole body. Wouldn’t you jump and run to get rid of that pain? Hence. Check the water parameters immediately when you see your Kuhli loach swimming frantically.
Depends On Their Mood
Your Kuhli loach would go into hiding and come back in the tank as they please. Hence, everything they do depends on their mood.
They will most probably start a circus in the tank with their crazy swimming when they are happy and comfortable.
If the tank has enough hiding space and open space at the bottom of the tank, you will even see your Kuhli loach during the daytime swimming happily around the tank.
Why Are My Kuhli Loach Hiding? Here are some reasons with solutions.
Why Are My Kuhli Loaches Going Crazy?
Kuhli Loach is a peaceful fish and won’t make any fuss when it comes to living in the tank. If you keep them in a tank with enough space at the bottom, Kuhli loach will never behave erratically.
But certain things or certain changes freak them out. Can you blame someone for going crazy due to a sudden change in their living condition?
You need to understand that Kuhli loaches are nocturnal beings that prefer a darker environment. They will be happy and healthy when there is dim lighting and enough hiding spaces.
Hence, when you make them live in the tank in a well-lit environment or with high-powered lighting, they will start to go crazy.
I don’t think ‘crazy’ is a good word to describe them in this condition. They will be scared and freak out due to the bright lighting. Can Kuhli Loach See In The Dark? I was interested in this topic when I was new to kuhli loaches. So, I have made it easier for you to understand it in my article.
You can clearly see the changes in the color of the Kuhli loach. Due to stress and bright lighting, the color of Kuhli loach starts to fade.
Additionally, the reason behind the way your Kuhli loach is behaving might be because you misunderstood them.
Kuhli loach is famous for the loach dance which makes people think that they are going crazy. These Kuhli loaches start to dance when they feel like it or when there is a change in weather.
Why Is My Kuhli Loach Swimming Back And Forth?
There is nothing wrong with your Kuhli loach if they are swimming back and forth in the tank. You will see every fish swimming back and forth because that’s what fish do.
Normal Behavior
It is quite a normal behavior for any fish to do that. If your Kuhli loach is having a problem in the aquarium, then it will go up and down in the tank, not back and forth.
Healthy And Happy Kuhli Loach
Kuhli loach starts to swim fast and go from one place to another when they are happy as well as healthy. Happiness and comfort are the prime factors why your Kuhli loach will behave like this. How Do I Keep The Kuhli Loach Happy? Get more details on how your kuhli loach can be happy with you.
Breeding
Also, Kuhli loach often swims around each other and back and forth in the tank while spawning and breeding.
You will find them going from one place to another and wooing the female Kuhli loach to lay eggs. Similarly, there is a chance that there is a change in weather.
Predators
Your Kuhli loach will start to swim back and forth as if it is avoiding something. Back then, when my Kuhli loach was swimming back and forth in the tank for a few days straight, there was a thunderstorm on its way.
Hence, the thunderstorm or the hint of thunderstorm hitting will make your Kuhli loach swim faster. I still don’t know how they figure it out but their sense to feel the change in weather even outside the tank is weirdly amazing.
Why Is My Kuhli Loach Swimming Up And Down?
One of the best things about having a home aquarium and fish is that they can be quite unpredictable. If you are new to this, then you will be surprised at every step of fishkeeping.
Stress
Kuhli loach is too wonderful to be true. And trust me, despite all the chaos and stress you will have raising them for the first time, and it will all be worth it.
But you will never truly understand what they are feeling and what they are doing. Hence, they will give you a tell-tale sign every time there is something wrong with the tank.
Kuhli loach will show various behaviors to show that they are not feeling good or well. Hence, the way they are swimming up and down can be one of the tell-tale signs.
Glass Surfing Or Pacing?
Have you heard the terms glass surfing or pacing? Your fish will swim up and down by the sides of the glass when they are glass surfing.
Notice if your Kuhli loach is doing that. They will not start to act like that out of the blue, to be honest. Most of the time, stress is the main culprit behind the way your Kuhli loach is swimming up and down.
Either to avoid an incompatible tank mate or to avoid the fluctuation in the water parameters, these loaches start to swim like this.
They might not be happy and comfortable in the environment and are searching for a way to escape that tank.
What Is Normal Kuhli Loach Behavior?
Well, if you are raising a Kuhli loach in a tank, you can easily tell how wonderful a pet is Kuhli loach. When I first got Kuhli loach for my tank, I was worried and scared.
I had never raised a fish that needed a moderate level of care. Raising neon tetra was what I was an expert on, and raising Kuhli loach would have been a new adventure for me.
I always had this thought in the back of my mind that these Kuhli loaches would be aggressive and territorial. That might be the reason why they are kept for experienced aquarists.
But to my surprise, my Kuhli loaches were too peaceful to be true. Hence, it was proved that the Kuhli loach is a peaceful fish.
They will mind their own business and won’t even disturb any other fish present in the tank. They will stay at the bottom of the tank and scavenge for leftovers at night.
These Kuhli loaches are nocturnal beings that will only come out at night. You will rarely see them with the lights on.
These Kuhli loaches are known to hide in the tank. Kuhli loach will dig a burrow and bury themselves there.
Also, these Kuhli loaches are not schooling fish. But they will be happy and comfortable when there are few other Kuhli loaches in the tank.
5 to 6 Kuhli loaches will live happily and in harmony in the tank without making any fuss or bringing aquarium war.
But remember these Kuhli loaches are quite shy yet active. Thus, you will hardly find them during the daytime but will see them swimming actively at night.
Frequently Asked Questions
I know the questions will be never-ending when it comes to taking care of Kuhli loaches in the tank. I have collected a few of the FAQs that people often ask and answered them for you.
Can You Keep A Single Kuhli Loach?
Now, this depends. I know Kuhli loach is not a schooling fish hence they will always make people question if they will be okay alone.
These Kuhli loaches will be okay while they live alone. But they essentially thrive when they are kept in a small group of 3 to 5 of them.
It is not like they will form a school or a shoal but these Kuhli loaches will hang out together. You will always find your Kuhli loaches together in a small cluster.
Although Kuhli loach can live alone, I suggest you keep them in a group. Keeping them in a group means a longer lifespan, happier Kuhli loach, and faster growth rate.
Do Kuhli Loaches Like Current?
Kuhli loaches will not even be present in the tank to like or dislike water current. They will stay hidden in the tank substrate most of the time and will only come out during the nighttime or feed.
They won’t mind the water current, nor will they make a fuss when it is low. These Kuhli loaches come from a natural habitat that has a high water current.
They are used to going against the current as well as along with the current. You will often find them hanging out in the water filter.
I have been there. Back then. I lost my Kuhli loaches within the tank. The first few, I found them hiding under the rocks. While one of them was still missing.
I thought that it might have been hidden somewhere else and would come out for food. But it didn’t and I contemplated its death.
However, when I disassembled my canister filter to clean, there he was, swimming and very much alive. I later find out that it swam along with the current and water flow into the aquarium filter and stayed there till I found him.
Conclusion
In brief, your Kuhli Loach is an amazing being and the most amazing thing about them is they are unpredictable. You will find them doing something like digging the substrate or hiding under the decorations just because they like to do so. Hence, your Kuhli loach that is swimming erratically might just be doing that for fun. But you still have to make sure that water parameters and water quality is not bothering them or making them act crazily.
We often blame ourselves when something goes south in the tank. And honestly, we are the culprits most of the time. But here, in the case of Kuhli loach swimming erratically, you might be the victim. Your Kuhli loach does like it, please.
Try your best to make things go back to normal. Sometimes your Kuhli loach will start acting normal on its own after a while.
Don’t worry and be patient with your fish. Take care of the aquarium water parameters as well as the tank’s living conditions.
You will do great if you go by the rule book of raising Kuhli loach in the tank. And if you still get a hard time with your loaches, drop your problem in the comment section. I will try to answer you as quickly as possible.
Good Luck!!!
Happy Fishkeeping!!!
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