Will Kuhli loaches eat guppy fry? No. Kuhli loach will not eat guppy fry because they are not predators of guppies or guppy fry. They are not aggressive fish.
Kuhli loaches are bottom feeders and are a fantastic clean-up crew for your tank. They consume all the leftovers of other species of fish in the aquarium.
Why Kuhli loaches won’t Eat Guppy Fry
They scrape the bottom of the tank substrate to look for food. Kuhli loaches are night feeders and are much active at sunsets.
Kuhli loaches live peacefully with other peaceful fishes. They will live peacefully with the Guppies.
However, Khuli loaches would snack on small brine shrimps and live peacefully with large shrimps.
Why Guppies Eat their fry
If you are worried about your other fishes eating guppy fry, you don’t have to worry about Kuhli loach. Your concern should only be about your guppies eating their fry.
Guppies are not the only fish that eat their babies. Other species that eat their eggs or fry include the male Barred-chin Blennies (Rhabdoblennius nitidus) belonging to the family Blenniidae and are known to consume their eggs to increase their chances of producing better offspring.
Fishes eating their fry or other fishes is called filial cannibalism. Although this is a work of nature, you certainly don’t want this happening in your tank.
Fishes That Would Eat Guppy Fry
If you are thinking about keeping your guppy fry in the same tank with other fish, here are some specie that would eat them:
- Gouramis
- Angelfish
- Bettas
- Neon Tetras
- Goldfish
- Dwarf pufferfish
- Swordtail fish and others.
These species are, by nature, predators and would eat guppy fry.
Goldfish (Carassius auratus)
Goldfish are generally peaceful fish. They get along well with other fishes in the aquarium.
However, they will eat other fish when they are hungry. They don’t eat fry because they are predators.
To prevent your Goldfish from eating your guppy fry, ensure they are well-fed. To be on the safe side, keep both species in separate tanks.
Goldfish are omnivorous; they eat both live and dried food.
Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)
Angelfish belongs to the cichlids.
Naturally, the cichlids are carnivorous, and they are a little aggressive. They eat other fish and their species.
Angelfish feed on mosquito larvae and other live foods. You can also feed them spinach, lettuce, flakes, and oatmeal.
They are suitable to be paired with their specie.
Please don’t put an Angelfish in the same tank as Neon tetras; they always eat the Neons.
Dwarf Pufferfish (Carinotetraodon travancoricus)
Dwarf Pupperfish belongs to a family of Pufferfishes (Tetradontidae).
The Dwarf Pufferfish is territorial; They are intolerant and aggressive towards other fish in the tank.
They are carnivorous and feed only on live food like snails, shellfish, and earthworms.
Dwarf pufferfish would eat guppy fry, and due to their aggressive nature, keeping them with Betta fish is not advisable.
Preventing Guppy Fry from Being Eaten by other Fish.
Kuhli loach won’t eat guppy fry because they are not aggressive or predators to guppy fry.
However, adult guppies can eat guppy fry immediately after they are born.
The best thing to do is to separate them immediately. Please put the Guppy fry in a separate tank where they can grow for 6-8weeks.
The general rule is to keep them away from other bigger fishes whose mouths are wide enough to swallow them.
What fish can live with Kuhli loaches?
Kuhli loaches are bottom feeders. They do very well with other non-aggressive, bottom-dweller fishes.
The Coolie loaches are school fish; they do well in the same tank as other Kuhli loaches.
Kuhli loaches get along well with other bottom dwellers. Below are some of the fishes that can live peacefully with Kuhli loaches:
- Sterba’s Cory
- Honey Gourami
- Guppies
Sterba’s Cory (Corydoras sterbai)
Sterba’s Cory belongs to a genus of Corydoras. They are freshwater catfish.
The Corys are small, peaceful, bottom dwellers like the Kuhli loaches.
Sterba’s Cory generally swims in schools and will do very well with your Kuhli.
Honey Gourami (Colisa chuna)
These are peaceful specie from Osphronemidae. They are brightly colored aquarium fish. You won’t have any problem keeping these with other fishes in your aquarium.
While they are not aggressive, they can be territorial during spawning.
The gouramis can eat other small fishes that fit in their mouth.
Keeping guppy fry in the same tank is not a good idea.
Guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
The guppies are peaceful with Kuhli loaches.
However, they may chase their fry immediately after they are born. Taking your guppy fry from the mother is the only way to keep them safe.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you wonder if Kuhli loaches would eat guppy fry, you now have to worry.
Kuhli loaches swim in the bottom of your tank. Your guppy fry won’t even be at the bottom of your tank.
Keep your Kuhli loach fed, and they won’t be chasing after small fishes. They are neither aggressive nor predators to guppy fry.
