Kuhli (pronounced "coolie") loaches are not really loaches. The Latin name is Acanthophthalmus kuhlii. They are native to Thailand and live in mud puddles in the rain forest. Children everywhere are fascinated by these snakelike fish. They are usually brown with orange vertical stripes in various pattern. The faces are cute with little whiskers around the mouth. They should be kept in group since they are very social creatures. I would say three in the minimum but six or more is better. This is a very shy fish normally hunting for food at night. It is possible that you never see them after adding them to your tank. They like to hide in caves or plants during the day. They might because braver over time. The females have thicker bodies and if full of eggs have a greenish tint. They tend to live on the bottom but do sometimes swim around through the water. I have a large group for at least four years now.

Do not be fooled. These are expert swimmers. They can dart around the tank like rockets. A trick to catch is put food in the net and let it sit. Given enough time they will crawl in the net. This would work best in dim light in the evening.

Food: They will eat anything. They like flake food. They like brine shrimp. They are savagers but should be given regular food also. You don't want them starving.

Water: soft to medium hardness of water. pH 6.2 - 6.8. I have mine in alkaline water for years so they are adaptive.

Temperature: upper seventies to low eighties.

Tank furniture: they like to have places to hide in the daylight. You should have caves or rock creases to stay during the say. They also like to forage and hide in dense plant cover.

Tank mates: You should not pick overly aggressive tank mates. I would not recommend most African Cichlids.

Spawning: There are people that have breed these in captivity. The person that I bought mine from sells over a hundred a month from his set up. They need to have lots of plants to lay eggs. I like Java Moss but any dense plant should work. The female are thicker bodied and get bigger when full of eggs. I have never seen the little fry. I would think they would be vulnerable to predation in a community tank.

They can be found seasonally in local pet stores. They are reasonable priced $2 - $4.