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I have the black gravel they sell at your LFS. It's not really sharp but it doesn't look like it would be very comfortable to burrow in. I plan on buying 3 Kuhli's for my 29G. Does anyone have Kuhli's in a gravel tank? If not how hard is it to switch from gravel to sand? I don't want to mess with the chemical balance of my tank.

Not being able to see your gravel, I can't tell you if its too sharp or not. Switching from gravel to sand should not mess with your tank's chemical balance. If by chemical balance you mean the pH, hardness, etc, it shouldn't be a problem. If you're using regular gravel and switch to something like playsand, there shouldn't be anything changed. Just make sure you take out all your fish. If your tank has been established for a long time, you're going to have a bit of filth or toxic bacteria or materials at the very bottom of your gravel (unless you've managed to keep it super tidy down there). Even still, you don't want to dump sand in while there's fishies swimming around, or you'll make it their grave.

i keep kuhli's in my 55g with the small gravel at the LFS's and they are fine in it. they dont burrow themselfs in the gravel, but have other rocks to hide in. at least as far as i know, they disappear from time to time

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a fine-grained substrate such as sand isnt an absolute necessity for kuhli loaches. just as long as you have hiding places and small crevices they should be fine.

I've always kept kuhlis, but never in tanks with sand. Mine have lots of hiding places...their current tank is a 30g with 4 good-sized pieces of driftwood and a lot of anubias. They still poke around and dig in the gravel, especially after feeding time.

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I have a lightly coarse gravel and keep khuli's, they dont burrow through it but they hide in and amongst the plants, rocks and diftwood.

I have seen them at the LFS burrowing into the finer gravel. It appears that they dont seem to mind the coarser gravel.

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Those who say they cant, Never will !!!

My Kulies have a 1-3mm natural coloured gravel. I also have never seen then burow/dig into the gravel. One thing I like about them is they are perfect at cleaning up a tank with all the food that gets into places that no other fish would even think of going.

If I remember corectly at the LFS some were in a sand based tank and some were just under the surface as soon as a net went into the tank and tried to catch them. Many hid in a large piece of hollowed orniment and when that was taken out YES khulis on the floor that was fun trying to pick them up.

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I have 5 khulis in my 55 with small to medium gravel. As stated above, they don't burrow in it. They do hide amongst the plants and caves in the tank. They always come out during feeding. I love them, one of my favorite fish.

Thanks for all the replies, I was hoping they would be okay. I really didn't want to change substrates. Does anybody else find that what the "experts" tell you at the LFS seems to , 9 times out of 10, contradict what your research tells you online. For instance I was told that a 29g was too small for an angel. I understand the logic, but the sites I go for research all state that thats a fine size for them. Just venting, it's frustrating when you do all this research just to go in to the lfs and be told just the opposite. Sorry for the rant. Thanks again for the replies, Gravel it is!

29 gallons for an angel is, I believe, is the bare minimum. This is not from personal experience, but rather from what I've read from other people. Angelfish require tall tanks, and your standard 29 gallon tank happens to be a suitable height. Anyone can feel free to correct me on this.

However, most people who work at an LFS do tell you the wrong things. They are just people who work their, not necessarily knowledgable about the subject at all. They will make random assumptions just by what they see. For instance, if you ask how large a tank an oscar will need and your pointing at their baby, 4 inch oscars, they'll assume that's the largest they get (they don't know any better) and just recommend something small like 10g or so, but really they get very large and would need 50 gallons minimum.

i've found that its all in the shop. most chain store people dont know their head from a hole in the ground. luckily for me, i have about 6 mom & pop shops that have been around for 10 years. one place has been around for over 40 years.

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction