Cooli Loach hiding in aquarium co op heater

[JG0086]

Is this safe? Not sure why here of all places it chooses to hide. I don't know what to do. Help? Suggestions?

[FishyJames]

I have 10 of them.  Try to give him a better place to hide.  Mine like driftwood and digging under ornaments.  Maybe you already have these....

[JG0086]

The other two hide just fine..... the one is an odd ball and I just don't know it's safe for it in there. I don't want any harm to befall the little guy

[JG0086]

Ok its worse than just a Kuli loach now.... cherry shrimp have taken to hiding in side that case...... is this going to cause problems????

[Lennie]

The tank looks so bright for their liking and looks like it does not offer enough hiding places for both species. Also I believe the number 3 is low for kuhlis to feel safe. Might your betta potentially bully them too?

I think they are just scared. Both kuhlis and shrimp. And trying to find a safe spot

[JG0086]

So there is a rock cave on the right. Apisto cave by that. All the rocks stacked in left middle are done to leave little nooks, and I moved the shrimp cave to back left. I feel like there plenty of hiding but some just go into the heater casing. 

Surprisingly the betta doesn't pick fights or bully anyone

The brightness will dim a little when the Val fully grows out. 

I believe kuli loaches are nocturnal but I'm not sure they should be hiding days out in the heater. Granted it's not running yet because it really only runs in the winter time here. 

Also one of the kuli loaches passed. So there are only two. He got by the safe guard device on the intake and was in the canister filter. Now I've cut and stuffed coarse sponge material in the filter cage are to stop that

[Lennie]

This sort of setup rather provides a hiding spot to spend all daytime without moving until the lights are off rather than enough shady hiding places where they feel safe to play around and spend time at during daytime. That's what I meant. Kuhli loaches are nocturnal but that does not mean they should be hiding in a apisto cave or a heater all day long. They like to spend time where they feel comfy, even it is daytime. I still don't believe your tank provides that sort of location for them. You may have a shrimp house and apisto cave, but all they can do is hide there and do nothing all day. That does not sound ideal. their behavior says that its not ideal

Here is what I would do:

- cover that intake tube with a sponge outside because shrimp will also go in there besides small fish

-Add lots of leaf litter.

-until your plants perform a good growth and build up lots of cover, create a safer location on one end with rock piles, and rescape later on when the plant growth is there

-increase the size of the school if  their requirements will be met, or rehome the two

 

[mynameisnobody]

I’d add a ton more loaches and some botanicals. Leaves can add some top notch hidey spots and food. 

[KittenFishMom]

When I took my heater out of my big tank, it was crammed full of little ramshorn snails. Most were dead. I think they get in there and get cooked and the dead bodies drawn more snails. I don't think the heater was very efficient with all those snails shells in there. I need to check my other heaters before the weather gets cool.