Kuhli Loaches?

[AquaticHamster]

I just set up another ten gallon yesterday with the intent of soon putting my 1 month old guppy fry in it. Im of course waiting for the tank to cycle out (going to add the parents this weekend to get the cycle started) and add them when they are about two months. I've been thinking about getting some kuhli loaches, but I have no idea how they interact with guppies and guppy fry. Im guessing they would get along fine, but I dont want the fry eaten. X] Should I wait until the fry are grown and gotten rid of? (I'm giving them away to some place..) Also, I've heard various things about kuhlis needing to be kept in groups of supposedly 3 or more.. Would this be a good number? Three is what I'm thinking. c:

Also another thing, does a tank cycle start when a fish is added, or before? Another thing I've heard various things about.. XD

 

[Baccus]

With just water sitting in a tank there will be no biological changes until a food source is added for the bacteria to feed on. WIthout adding a such a food source about all you will get in a tank with no fish etc is evaporation. Most people cycle a filter via adding some fish food to the tank being cycled, this will break down to ammonia (and other nutirients) and the bacteria will feed on this (ammonia) and slowly develop a colony. If you already have set up cycled tanks then you can seed your new filter from an existing one, I like running the new filter in tandam with an existing filter or put some of the new filter parts into the old filter so there is direct contact between the two filter mediums and leave them running like this for a couple of weeks at least.

As for Khuli loaches they should be fine with guppy fry, I strongly suspect that the only fry a Khuli loach would eat is the newest/ smallest newborn that was hanging around the bottom of the tank at night time. Khuli loaches really do like being a in large group, the more the merrier applies to them. 3 would not give them the feeling of safety that say 5 or 6 (or more) would give them. So with only 3 they will spend 90% of their time well hidden away and when they do venture out being very skittish. With a LOT of live plants and hidey holes you may make the Khuli loaches feel safer/ braver and keep only 3 but all that extra "clutter" in the grow out tank for the fry will effectively reduce the available water volume for the fry to quickly grow up in.

 

[AquaticHamster]

Yeah thats what i thought. Im probably not going to do the loaches until after the guppies are given away, that way theres more tank space. Thanks for the advice.