How many could I get

[Chiclid addict]

I have a 55g with 3 discus 1 rope fish 1 angelfish and a pleco I want to get some kuhli loaches form the research I’ve done they are all compatible(please correct me if I’m wrong) but I want to know how many I could get 

[Fish Folk]

I think they’d do Ok. Do they prefer groups? Maybe half a dozen. Just don’t get clown loaches! You’ll probably never see the kuhlis unless you break out a flashlight at night. 

[Chiclid addict]

1 hour ago, Fish Folk said:

I think they’d do Ok. Do they prefer groups? Maybe half a dozen. Just don’t get clown loaches! You’ll probably never see the kuhlis unless you break out a flashlight at night. 

They do prefer groups also what is wrong with clown loaches I know very little about them 

[Lifeisgood]

They get very big.

[Brian]

I guess it depends on you...  What I mean to say is that they do want to be in groups,  but you need to be able to afford purchase of them and the food they require and then maintain the environment that the fish all need.  
Good Luck 

[Fish Folk]

8 hours ago, Angelfishlover said:

They do prefer groups also what is wrong with clown loaches I know very little about them 

They grow quite large (6-11 inches), will require more space than your tank can provide. Also, they can be boisterous. 

[Brandy]

I would say in a lightly stocked 55g you can probably put in more khuli loaches than you want to buy...meaning you could get away with upwards of 30. Just remember to leave stocking space for any future fish you want to add. They are low bioload, and like to pile up in little heaps under some decor. They like lots of cover, so the more stuff for them to hide under the more you will see them and the happier they will be. My kid has 6 in a 10 gallon, with 3 long sticks of driftwood running along the length of the tank. They line up under there during the day, and at night come out to investigate all the things on the bottom. They need to be target fed in that set up--we give sinking pellets at night.

I put 3 in my 29gallon that is heavily planted and they literally became obese on just what they could find. In that tank, with so much plant/rock/wood cover they are often out in the day.

[Biotope Biologist]

You may notice them slowly start to disappear. As cute and friendly as rope fish are they are still a bichir. Kuhli loaches would be snack size unless you got them at adult size. The rope fish could easily mistake an adolescent loach as a large colorful earthworm.

 

If you proceed with caution id imagine 5-10 would be fine. It also depends on what species of pleco you have. As that is your bioload constraint with discus. If you have a smaller species of pleco such as a bristlenose or a snowball (L201) you could potentially do more. 

[Chiclid addict]

1 hour ago, Biotope Biologist said:

You may notice them slowly start to disappear. As cute and friendly as rope fish are they are still a bichir. Kuhli loaches would be snack size unless you got them at adult size. The rope fish could easily mistake an adolescent loach as a large colorful earthworm.

 

If you proceed with caution id imagine 5-10 would be fine. It also depends on what species of pleco you have. As that is your bioload constraint with discus. If you have a smaller species of pleco such as a bristlenose or a snowball (L201) you could potentially do more. 

The pleco is just a common pleco he is about 5 inches long and he doesn’t seem to be getting bigger I rarely see him though as he only comes out at night 

[FishyJames]

I had 12 kuhli loaches in my 55 gallon.  They stay under decorations until lights off....so they don't take up much room and little biological load.

[Biotope Biologist]

14 minutes ago, Angelfishlover said:

The pleco is just a common pleco he is about 5 inches long and he doesn’t seem to be getting bigger I rarely see him though as he only comes out at night 

In that case I would consider your tank capped. Common plecos are slow growers but they hit 15" in aquariums and 2' + in the wild. They produce considerable bioload and I would worry about your discus that are very sensitive to nitrate, and ammonia spikes. 

[Chiclid addict]

8 minutes ago, Biotope Biologist said:

In that case I would consider your tank capped. Common plecos are slow growers but they hit 15" in aquariums and 2' + in the wild. They produce considerable bioload and I would worry about your discus that are very sensitive to nitrate, and ammonia spikes. 

Ok thank you I do daily testing and 50% water changes every other week so I would notice a spike in ammonia and nitrates 

[Biotope Biologist]

These are all just recommendations of course. If you feel confident in your abilities, go for it. I just wanted you to consider all possibilities before purchase 🙂