Indian Kuhli Loach (Pangio pangia)

The Indian Kuhli Loach (Pangio pangia), also sold as the Cinnamon Kuhli or Cinnamon Loach, is the plain coated cousin of the familiar banded kuhli. It has the same slender, eel shaped body, but in a warm cinnamon to orange brown with no stripes at all. It comes from slow, soft bottomed streams in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar, and it is peaceful, beginner friendly in an established tank, and happiest wriggling through sand with a group of its own kind. Browse more freshwater livestock and supplies.

Care Guide

• Group size: six or more. A lone kuhli hides full time and you will rarely see it. They also school happily with banded Kuhli Loaches and Black Kuhli Loaches, and a mixed group of kuhlis gives them the same confidence.
• Tank size: a 20 gallon long or larger for a group. Floor space matters more than height. They do best in a mature, established tank rather than a brand new setup.
• Substrate is the one thing to get right: soft sand or very smooth fine gravel. They burrow and sift with sensitive barbels, and sharp gravel wears them down. Aquarium sand is ideal.
• Aquascape: dim, shaded cover. Driftwood, caves, live plants and a layer of catappa leaves. More hiding places means you see them more often, not less.
• Water parameters: 75 to 80°F, pH 6.0 to 7.5, soft to moderately hard (about 2 to 12 dGH). Stable, clean water with low nitrates matters more than chasing exact numbers. Treat tap water with Seachem Prime.
• Feeding: omnivore and bottom feeder. Sinking wafers, small pellets, and frozen foods like bloodworms and baby brine shrimp. Drop some food in after the lights go out, since this is when they are most active.
• Escape artists: use a tight fitting lid and cover your filter intake with a pre-filter sponge. Kuhlis are famous for slipping into hang on back and canister filter intakes.
• Scaleless and sensitive: no aquarium salt, no copper, and half dose most medications.

Specifications

Compatibility

A true peaceful community fish that keeps to the bottom and never bothers its tank mates. Great companions include small tetras like Neon Tetras and Rummy Nose Tetras, Kubotai Rasboras, Honey Gouramis, Pygmy Cories, Sterbai Cories, Otocinclus, and shrimp like Amano Shrimp (more in freshwater invertebrates).

Avoid large or aggressive cichlids, big catfish, and anything with a mouth big enough to swallow a thin 2 inch fish. Unlike some other loaches, kuhlis do not eat pest snails, so plan on other snail control if you need it.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Hikari Sinking Wafers, an easy daily staple for bottom feeders
• Fluval Bug Bites Bottom Feeder Formula, small sinking granules they can sift for
• Hikari Bio-Pure Frozen Blood Worms and Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp, a favorite treat
• Estes Natural Aquatic Sand, the safe substrate for digging
• Aquarium Co-Op Pre-Filter Sponge to keep them out of the filter
• Fritz Catappa Leaves for cover and soft, tea tinted water
• Browse all fish food and water care

FAQ

How is this different from the regular Kuhli Loach?
Same body shape and the same care, but a different coat. The common trade kuhli is banded in black and orange. The Indian Kuhli is a solid cinnamon to orange brown with no bands, and it stays a little smaller at about 2.5 inches. They school together, so many keepers mix banded, black and cinnamon kuhlis in one group.

Is "Indian Kuhli" the scientific name?
No, it is a trade name. The fish sold under it are plain, unbanded kuhlis from India and Bangladesh, which matches Pangio pangia, the Cinnamon Loach. Kuhli species are hard to tell apart without a close look under magnification, and their care is the same across the group.

I never see my kuhlis. Are they okay?
Almost always yes. They are nocturnal and spend the day buried in sand or tucked under wood. A bigger group, dim lighting, plenty of cover and a little food after lights out will bring them out much more. If one goes missing, check your filter intake.

Can I use aquarium salt or ich medication with them?
Be careful. Kuhlis have no scales, so skip aquarium salt and anything with copper, and use about half the normal dose of most medications. Ask us in store and we can point you to a gentler option.