TankBud

Thread kuhli loach

Pangio filinaris

Also known as Threadlike kuhli, Purple kuhli loach

FreshwaterFish

Thread kuhli loach (Pangio filinaris)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
1.8 in
4.5 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cobitidae
Origin
Pahang basin, Peninsular Malaysia

Overview

The thread kuhli loach is one of the tiniest and thinnest kuhlis, a fish for a mature nano tank. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The thread kuhli loach may be about as close as a backboned animal comes to a living piece of string. It is no thicker than a shoelace tip and easy to overlook, even in its own tank.

Caring for the thread kuhli loach

Keep thread kuhli loaches in a tank of at least 14 gal (54 L), which holds a group comfortably. Give them soft, fine sand, a deep bed of leaves and botanicals, driftwood and shade. A mature tank full of tiny live food suits this small, delicate loach.

Hold the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C), soft and acidic, with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0 and gentle flow. They need the smallest of foods. Offer crushed sinking foods, microworm and frozen cyclops or baby brine shrimp near the floor after dark.

Keep a generous group of six or more. These thread-like loaches shoal into the litter together, and a single one simply disappears. They are utterly peaceful and belong with micro tank mates such as Boraras, chili rasboras and dwarf shrimp. As with their relatives, there is no reliable account of them breeding in aquaria.

Good to know

Pangio filinaris is one of the smallest members of the eel-loach family Cobitidae. It is nearly patternless, a plain pinkish thread of a fish, and its name points to that thread-thin shape. It was described in 1993.

In the wild

The thread kuhli loach is known from the Pahang drainage of Peninsular Malaysia. It lives in soft, still, tea-colored water among thick leaf litter.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The thread kuhli loach is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a thread kuhli loach need?

A thread kuhli loach needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a thread kuhli loach need?

A thread kuhli loach is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a thread kuhli loach eat?

A thread kuhli loach needs the smallest of foods. Offer it crushed sinking foods, microworm and frozen cyclops or baby brine shrimp near the floor after dark.

How big does a thread kuhli loach get?

An adult thread kuhli loach reaches about 1.8 in (4.5 cm).

Related species