This is kind of a funny ask because I have almost the exact tank you are planning!
I have a 29 gallon with black sand substrate, planted with Cryptocoryne, Anubias, a few Val, and various floaters. It is home to one meticulous male Honey Gourami ("Snoopy"), a dozen or so Glowlight Tetra, one shy Clown Pleco, and a horde of various Pangio species. It's a really fun tank to watch.
If you're in the design phase, I'd recommend planning some open space in the front of the tank where you can easily observe your Pangio foraging. In that open space, you might add in some dried leaves, often sold at fish stores but can be gathered from trees not treated with chemicals. They are part of Pangio natural habitat and your eel loaches will really enjoy hiding and looking for food under/over them.
They really need quite a few hiding spots to feel secure, so the more nooks and crannies the better. I have dragon stone, driftwood, and rounded river rock in the tank to make caves. Plus man made bolt holes like shrimp caves. Some of the more adventurous Pangio also hang out in the dense floating plants (I call it "the green blob," a big tangle of floaters) or the Anubias growing on the dragon stone.
A tank light with a sunrise/sunset feature is handy, as Pangio seem to be more active in dimmer lighting, in my experience. Or a bunch of floaters can help dil your tank as well.
They take a variety of foods, and are omnivorous in captivity. Mine enjoy high quality flake, sinking pellets of many kinds, press on tabs, frozen foods, and even the occasional zucchini slice.
I would add them last to a newer setup, to be sure the tank is completely cycled, with stable water chemistry. They really don't tolerate well the swings in water quality in a new setup that some fish are able to. Try and keep the nitrates under 20ppm for best results and fewer health issues. In my own tank with Pangio, my nitrates are around 5ppm, so lower is possible, usually in a planted tank. You may also wish to test your tap water to ascertain what your water parameters are out of the tap, some folks have to deal with undesirable chemicals at the get go.
I'm going to go ahead and mention quarantine, since I've had so much luck with it. If you have a small tank or fold safe tub (mine is 5 gallons, for example) you can observe and treat all new fish before they go into your display. This can save you money, distress, and prevent fish illness and death in the long run. If you are interested in learning more, Aquarium Co-Op has a great protocol (that I use) if you visit their youtube site. Search "meds trio." Guy owns a fish store and treats all his fish with this method.
I'd get a half dozen Pangio when you're ready. They hang out in large groups in the wild and are more comfortable around lots of other eel loaches. If you end up enjoying and keeping them well, consider adding in more. But be careful, collecting them can become a hobby!
Thank you so much, this was so helpful. I’ll definitely make sure to add them last and see if I can set up my old 5 gallon as a quarantine tank and I’ll look into that YouTube page. This whole comment was exactly the kind of information I was looking for, thank you again so much. If you’re willing would you mind posting a picture of your tank I’m very interested in seeing it, if not totally cool. Username definitely checks out lol
Cryptocoryne wendtii are the darker ones I think. They grow really well when they're happy. The pink one is C. Pink Flamingo, which grows slow and likes a bit more light than most Crypts. Crypts are found in Pangio habitat in the wild, so bonus points for that I guess.
This is kind of a funny ask because I have almost the exact tank you are planning!
I have a 29 gallon with black sand substrate, planted with Cryptocoryne, Anubias, a few Val, and various floaters. It is home to one meticulous male Honey Gourami ("Snoopy"), a dozen or so Glowlight Tetra, one shy Clown Pleco, and a horde of various Pangio species. It's a really fun tank to watch.
If you're in the design phase, I'd recommend planning some open space in the front of the tank where you can easily observe your Pangio foraging. In that open space, you might add in some dried leaves, often sold at fish stores but can be gathered from trees not treated with chemicals. They are part of Pangio natural habitat and your eel loaches will really enjoy hiding and looking for food under/over them.
They really need quite a few hiding spots to feel secure, so the more nooks and crannies the better. I have dragon stone, driftwood, and rounded river rock in the tank to make caves. Plus man made bolt holes like shrimp caves. Some of the more adventurous Pangio also hang out in the dense floating plants (I call it "the green blob," a big tangle of floaters) or the Anubias growing on the dragon stone.
A tank light with a sunrise/sunset feature is handy, as Pangio seem to be more active in dimmer lighting, in my experience. Or a bunch of floaters can help dil your tank as well.
They take a variety of foods, and are omnivorous in captivity. Mine enjoy high quality flake, sinking pellets of many kinds, press on tabs, frozen foods, and even the occasional zucchini slice.
I would add them last to a newer setup, to be sure the tank is completely cycled, with stable water chemistry. They really don't tolerate well the swings in water quality in a new setup that some fish are able to. Try and keep the nitrates under 20ppm for best results and fewer health issues. In my own tank with Pangio, my nitrates are around 5ppm, so lower is possible, usually in a planted tank. You may also wish to test your tap water to ascertain what your water parameters are out of the tap, some folks have to deal with undesirable chemicals at the get go.
I'm going to go ahead and mention quarantine, since I've had so much luck with it. If you have a small tank or fold safe tub (mine is 5 gallons, for example) you can observe and treat all new fish before they go into your display. This can save you money, distress, and prevent fish illness and death in the long run. If you are interested in learning more, Aquarium Co-Op has a great protocol (that I use) if you visit their youtube site. Search "meds trio." Guy owns a fish store and treats all his fish with this method.
I'd get a half dozen Pangio when you're ready. They hang out in large groups in the wild and are more comfortable around lots of other eel loaches. If you end up enjoying and keeping them well, consider adding in more. But be careful, collecting them can become a hobby!
Good luck.
Thank you so much, this was so helpful. I’ll definitely make sure to add them last and see if I can set up my old 5 gallon as a quarantine tank and I’ll look into that YouTube page. This whole comment was exactly the kind of information I was looking for, thank you again so much. If you’re willing would you mind posting a picture of your tank I’m very interested in seeing it, if not totally cool. Username definitely checks out lol
https://preview.redd.it/gr5voc37rg6g1.jpeg?width=5516&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=761b62f69aea0db0a89a7f00399a80bd1d347580
I snapped a photo for you, sorry about the reflections of my railing in there.
Oh wow, that tank look like perfection. Thank you so much for sharing, I’ll definitely be taking inspiration.
https://preview.redd.it/xvnzhtoirg6g1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d63cb5b341a90ae29dc05909165143ea1c2c20af
Here's from the side. The Glowlights are always curious and investigate when I sit down next to this tank. Begging for food, no doubt.
What kind of crypts are those? Looking to add some to the back of my tank and am really leaning towards bronze ones. Lovely tank!
Cryptocoryne wendtii are the darker ones I think. They grow really well when they're happy. The pink one is C. Pink Flamingo, which grows slow and likes a bit more light than most Crypts. Crypts are found in Pangio habitat in the wild, so bonus points for that I guess.
Good luck.
Thankyou!
Yes. I think quarantine is a must, and will prevent many headaches
Ironically, the more hiding spaces the Kuhlis have the more you will see them🤣 lots of plants and hiding spaces!!