# Black Diamond and Khuli Loaches



## mvbis (Mar 10, 2014)

Anyone here keep khulis in black diamond blasting sand? When I bought them at the lfs they would bury themselves in the gravel, now they don't bury and instead hide in caves or drape themselves on the plants. 

Anyway, I was thinking the sand might be too sharp or compacted for them to burrow in... Thoughts?


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## cgorges (Sep 9, 2014)

I have black diamond, an though I do not currently have kuhli's im waiting for my LFS to get some. I do have cories in there and when I transitioned from gravel to the Black Diamond my cories had a field day. They love to dig and bury themselves in it. The seem to like it and there barbells actually look better now than when they were in gravel. Did they have anywhere else to hide at your LFS? Maybe they feel more secure in your tank with the caves and plants.


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## jeremy va (Dec 22, 2012)

Bet it is too sharp for their little barbels. Plus, loaches like to suck in sand/sediment and shoot it out though their gills. Ouch!


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

It's fine for kuhlis and cories. Barbell erosion is usually caused by dirty water and and too much decaying matter on top of the substrate.


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Jan 16, 2013)

Monster Fish said:


> It's fine for kuhlis and cories. Barbell erosion is usually caused by dirty water and and too much decaying matter on top of the substrate.


Just theory, no proof exists to back that up. Fact is no one really knows whats cause's it besides assumptions.


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## tumbleweedz (Mar 1, 2012)

Mine don't seem to have any problems. I do have lots of caves for them to hide in but the black diamond doesn't seem to bother them at all.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I have false julli cory scavenging around in black diamond in my 20g long (its a temp qt, they'll be going in the 55g-also has black diamond). Some of them came home from the lfs (which has gravel tanks) without barbels.. ALL have grown them back and you couldn't tell they were ever missing. I've not kept loaches yet to attest for them, but can say with certainty the substrate is cory safe.


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## armada (Nov 19, 2013)

I've wondered this for a while, as well. I've got black diamond blasting sand, and while my Kuhlis will "dance" around in the sand, I've never witnessed them actually dig. They mostly use the above-substrate root systems as mini-amusement parks


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