Not only that but their upper bodies are rounded like an eel. Dojo loaches, or Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, were first discovered by Cantor in 1842. The tank mates you choose must be similar in size. Hence, you need to be very careful while finding the perfect tank mates for them; you can select tank mates using my guide as a reference. Also called the red Rasbora, this little fish is a sunny blend of colors that is usually accented by dark, even black, markings. This unique fish has acquired the name Weather Loach from its fascinating ability to predict when a storm is rolling in. Would a schedule of 40%-50% water changes every week be okay without ever having to upgrading to a new tank? Outside of that, your tank mate options are rather extensive. Treat the fish tank with an OTC antiparasitic medication. Stick to something smooth since coarse or sharp materials, such as gravel, will easily cut them. Theyre sometimes used to get to the bottom of their surroundings. Dojo loaches are relatively easy to care for, fun fish that do best in a community tank with pristine, well-oxygenated water and friendly tank mates. The gold spot dwarf pleco may be small, but it makes up for that tiny size in beauty. Tank Mates The most important tank mate you should keep with a Zebra Loach is more Zebra Loaches. They can easily survive in most conditions. The Dojo Loach should be kept in cool water temperatures with a pH level of slightly acidic to slightly alkaline to live a healthy life span. Fun Fish Tank Themes 15 Creative Ideas For Your Aquarium! Weather Loaches like a steady stream. They are non-aggressive fish that will not cause your Dojos any trouble and are beautiful additions to any community aquarium. Dojo loaches can withstand moderate lighting if preferred plants need slightly higher intensities. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ideally, you want to use lots of driftwood, smooth stones, twisted roots, and caves where the fish can hide and explore. Heres What to Do, My Dog Ate a Chicken Bone! Male wraps around the female to fertilize released eggs. Fish infected with Ich develop a sprinkling of tiny white spots on their fins, gill covers, and bodies. Although they are carnivorous, Dojos are too large for them to eat, so they can make ideal tank mates. And no slow-moving fish, or fish with long flowy fins, as the loach may This means they should only be kept with peaceful fish, like the dojo loach. What You Need To Know, 10 Best UV Sterilizers & Clarifiers for Koi Ponds in 2023, The latest veterinarians' answers to questions from our database. This is because Dojo Loaches love to slither under the sand. For many fish on our list, this environment is on the lower end of their comfortable temperature range. Learn more. No matter how much less experience you have, you can handle this species. To sum everything weve covered up, dojo loaches are fantastic choices for any aquarium, but for the 15 best dojo loach tank mates, youll have to take care to find fish that are compatible not just in parameters, but temperament. Theyll also sift through your tank for tiny algae snacks. A post shared by Finatics Aquarium (@finaticsaquarium). There is an interesting fact about the name weather loaches. Filtration and oxygenation are also very relevant. They may also compete with native species for food and habitat. Outside of that, your tank mate options are rather extensive. If you want to make a statement with your dojo loach tank, the paradise fish is the way to go. The Dojo Loach is a wonderful addition to any cool water community tank because of its peaceful nature. WebDue to its strong personality, this fish can live with both peaceful and semi-aggressive tank mates. In their natural habitat, they tend to live in areas with plenty of loose-leaf litter on the floor, where they can burrow and hide to feel safe. They are easy to care for, making them great for beginners, and they are endlessly fascinating to watch. Unlike Kuhli Loach, Dojo Loaches are easy to take care of. Other than water temperature, Dojo Loaches are not extremely sensitive to the water chemistry of their tank. In the wild, the fish can get almost double this size, and some have been seen as long as 12 inches when fully grown! What you can do is, over the winter, you can reduce the light to be very dim and then keep increasing as spring approaches. Although most aquarium fishes are susceptible to Ich, loaches are especially susceptible, and they become ill quickly. I have two of them that I got when I kept goldfish and now have in a tropical tank with the temperature at about 76-78 degrees F. Because of their playful nature, their tank should also include a tight-fitting lid to prevent them from jumping out. When thinking about potential tank mates try to choose some fish that prefer the middle and top levels of the tank. If the fish have no other places to hide, they will sometimes bury themselves. Dojo Loach. Tank Mates For Dojo Loaches Dojo Loaches will get along with almost any other species. They enjoy swimming and exploring the tanks depths. With proper tank cleanliness, water temperature, diet, and tank mates, the Dojo Loach will make a great companion for the next decade to come. The secret to keeping diseases at bay is to keep an eye on and improve the water quality. Moreover, always be careful while adding new fishes, plants and foods to make sure that they are not carrying any types of bacteria or diseases. Theyre easy to keep safe thanks to their hardiness, even if you dont have a lot of fish-keeping experience. When it comes to food and diet, Dojo Loaches are really easy to feed as they mostly eat all types of fish foods including snails. It has an elongated body and can grow to a length of 25cm. The fish can detect changes in barometric pressure, meaning they can sense an oncoming storm front! Did you enjoy our guide to the fascinating, quirky Dojo loach? Fish that are too aggressive or violent will stress a dojo loach out. This can only be attempted if the aquarium is at least 55 gallons in size (208.2 L). In this article, we look at 10 of our favorites. This is because these fish like to spend time at the top of the tank, able to breathe air. However, aquarists have reported that their fish are too active and nip at fins. This post may contain affiliate links and we may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on the links. Since these fish can live in a wide temperature range, you can keep them in outdoor ponds in larger groups. It can be caused by adding infected fish into the tank, adding infected water, or not properly sanitizing your cleaning equipment. The first step to finding the perfect tank mates for a dojo loach is to know what the dojo loach really needs. Corys, tetras, and even gouramis, as well as other loaches, are all great peaceful options. Dojo loaches come in their wild coloration, or you might find a gold variant that can add a gorgeous pop of color to your tropical fish tank. Due to their social nature, you may even be able to feed your Dojo from your hand! They love to stay in the top or middle of the tank in schools of their own, so they wont bother your dojo loach at all. The Dojo Loach should be kept in cool water temperatures with a pH level of slightly acidic to slightly alkaline to live a healthy life span. Alison P. Dojo loaches are a frequently forgotten aquarium buddy for axolotls. Mostly silver with warmly tinged fins and hints of blue along the body, this little fish has been compared to the neon tetra and is often described as a less expensive version. Finding tank mates for a Dojo Loach will be quite simple as long as these fish are not aggressive and can thrive in cooler temperatures. Only after the entire breeding process is completed that is, when the female has laid the eggs, and the male has fertilized them is this status changed. Paradise Fish Tank Mates. Although goldfish and Dojo loaches can live together peacefully, you must provide a larger tank. Dojo Loach Quick Look Care Level: Beginner Tank Size: 30-gallon minimum, 55+ gallon recommended Water Requirement: 6.0 to 8.0 pH level Water Hardness: 5 to 12 dH (degree hardness) Water Temperature: 50 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (68-72 degrees F is ideal) Adult Size: 6-10 inches Lifespan: 10 years Social: Peaceful, Breeding this fish does not often happen purposefully in home aquariums due to the months of preparation it takes. Dojo loaches have a totally cool behavior that never ceases to fascinate their owners. Some hobbyists believe that dojo loaches excel in groups of at least three, whereas others claim that they prefer to be alone. The lifespan of a Dojo Loach in its natural habitat is generally around ten years, and while living in captivity, its lifespan can range from five to eight years. Clown Pleco: Care, Size, Diet, Tank setup and Tankmates, Top 25 Fishes for A 10 Gallon Tank Stocking Ideas for Beginners. The fishs exceptional unpretentiousness, calm temperament, and fascinating behavior appeal to aquarists. These two fish also thrive at the same temperature of 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. This will encourage them to start reproducing. Goldfish eat floating flake food, so feeding will not become an issue. That said, these fish are not generally regarded as part of a cleaning crew since the amount of algae they eat is pretty small. It continues to flatten out as it gets closer to the tail. As long as none of the fish are aggresive they should be alright. Overfeeding can cause health issues, and decomposing food will produce ammonia that will pollute the tank water. In fact, these fish are thought to be fairly impregnable because it takes drastic changes in their water conditions to affect their health. The Dojo Loach should be kept in cool water temperatures with a pH level of slightly acidic to slightly alkaline to live a healthy life span. Weather loaches tend to hang out at the bottom of their habitat. Find the Best Aquarium Equipment Aquarium Heater | Aquarium Filter | Aquarium Light To encourage your fishes to burrow, youll need a smooth, muddy substrate; gravel and other coarse substrates will stress your fish out because it wont be able to hide and show its natural behaviors. Dark brown spots can also be seen on certain specimens, which aid in camouflage. This can be tricky, though, because temperature manipulation can easily stress out your fish. Dojo loaches are a frequently forgotten aquarium buddy for axolotls. Captive loaches do best when fed a balanced diet. The bottom of the tank should be covered in a soft substrate such as smooth pebbles or a fine sandy substrate. This can be treated by giving an easy-to-digest diet such as pellet food. Can become aggressive with aggressive fish, though not usually peaceful loaches. We may earn a small commission through products purchased using links on this page. The Dojo Loach is more susceptible to diseases than other aquarium fish due to its thin tiny scales. In the other, she has a happy community of tiger barbs, green tiger barbs, corydoras catfish, platys, and mollies. When one of the males in the tank is breeding with one of the females in the tank, the other adult fish, especially the males, become irritated. Once your Dojo has reached sexual maturity beginning the breeding process will take months of preparation as you must simulate their natural conditions in the tank. In the hours before a storm, as the barometric pressure decreases, the fish become highly stressed and run around the tank. Pairing these two together often leaves no snails left in the tank. Loaches no matter if they are Kuhli loach or Dojo Loach, they suffer from a lot of diseases and special care needs to be taken for them. White Cloud Minnows make ideal tank mates for Dojo Loaches because they are small and peaceful, and they are hardy and easy to care for. Even if this scenario happens, you just need to reintroduce them into your tank. Treat the aquarium with antibacterial medication. Dojo eats many of the same things as axolotls, such as pellets, brine shrimp, and frozen bloodworms. Tell us about your fish in the comments box below! Bloating can be caused by many factors, but the most common causes are parasitic infections which can also be caused by feeding habits. Sexual dimorphism exists in them. They also happen to be opportunistic, non-picky eaters that will clean up the bottom of the tank. Also known as the Red Rasbora in the pet trade, the Harlequin Rasbora is a peaceful fish with beautiful metallic colors and makes a striking addition to community tanks. The fish will eat most live and frozen meaty foods, such as blood worms, baby brine shrimp, tubifex worms, tropical pellets and flake food, and sinking pellets. The parameters of a dojo loach are a tank that is at least 55 gallons in size, first. They also like to eat small fishes, hence do not put them with smaller fishes than themselves. There are few fishes that really go along with Dojo loaches. These fish are primarily shoaling fish and are easily stressed if kept in groups that are too small, so youll need at least eight to 10 individuals to keep them happy. Alison Page has been an avid fish keeper for over 35 years and has owned many different species of freshwater tropical fish including bettas. When spring comes, the loaches should have about a half-worth day of sunshine. They come in a wide range of hues. Remove dead leaves and broken stems from your plants and add them to your aquarium, allowing plenty of space between the plants so that they can grow and spread. They favor small, slow-moving streams, rice paddies, ponds, and marshes. Last but not least, the panda cory is a black and white stunner of a fish that will be perfect for your dojo loach. As long as Paradise Fish are kept with fish that are bigger than them or do not pose a threat, they will usually be fine, so they can be housed with Dojos without any issues. They should be kept in a tank of at least 40 gallons or larger. Once spawning has occurred between the male and female, she will lay around 50 eggs that will hatch within an average of three days. This is because of their ability to sense changes in barometric pressure before a storm. The temperature should not fluctuate too much or significantly during the day. The Dojo Loach is an omnivorous fish that eats both animals and plants. Ich causes white spots all over the body. You need to make sure that they dont get stressed as they do not react well to stress. Youll have to find tank mates with similar tempers, compatible sizes, and low competitive diets. You will often see this fish being used as bait to catch even larger fishes. It is created with a variety of trees, smoothed rocks, and driftwood. I always put an upturned dish on top of the gravel to prevent the water from dislodging the substrate when I pour it in. Dojo Loaches: They can live together easily and in a group of 3 at least. Dojo loaches are bottom-dwellers, so choose fish species that gravitate to the middle and upper areas of the water column. The Dojo Loach or most commonly known as Weather and Pond loach has always been a popular freshwater fish for aquarium owners. The care routine for Dojo Loach is not that hard, which makes it a popular fish for even beginner aquarists. Even though Dojo Loaches have the unique ability to easily adapt, tank temperature should not fluctuate much throughout the day as this can easily cause them stress. Hepper.com does not intend to provide veterinary advice. Good meal options can include sinking pellet food, worms, insect larvae, and small crustaceans such as shrimp. A leopard danio is technically related to the zebra danio, so its no wonder that this fish makes a great addition to our list of best dojo loach tank mates. Goldfish and dojo loaches can get along swimmingly as long as there is enough space for everybody (and sufficient filtration). These fish need to be in a group (5 or larger) and will cause trouble with one another if that number isnt met. Is Your Betta Fish Having Seizures? Dojo loaches are peaceful with other species and their own. I have different kinds of fishes, plants and snails in my aquarium. If you have a snail problem in your tank, Dojo loaches can be extremely helpful in that they will eat the mollusks! Kuhli loaches can be pretty shy and keep to themselves. It is a species that resembles an eel slightly and prefers cold water. Internal parasites in the loaches bodies are the primary cause of weight loss, which can be treated with the necessary meds. Do not worry, even if you find them outside of the tank jumping out because they have the ability to use atmospheric oxygen outside of the water. White Cloud Minnows make ideal tank mates for Dojo Loaches because they are small and peaceful, and they are hardy and easy to care for. Since they stay on the bottom of the tank, they would do best in a wider and more shallow tank than a tall tank. Changes in water temperature can cause fish to become stressed, which can lead to a variety of diseases. This can be accomplished by installing a filtration device underneath the substrate. Sumo Loaches require a powerful aquarium filter with a water flow of 4 to 5 times the tanks volume. Looking into the dimensions of the tank is essential as they will need plenty of room to swim around the bottom of the tank. They are hardy fish that can happily survive in brackish water. When theyre challenged, theyll hide, but if theyre at ease, theyll stay out in the open. These attractive little fish have generally patterned dark brown to greenish-gray with a brown to yellow base color, fading to lighter undersides. The tank mates you choose must be similar in size. Air stones, on the other hand, are also successful. Activate the heater and filter. If their numbers are too low, they can begin to act rather strangely, including possible aggression. They can become aggressive with smaller fish if they become hungry. Once the female Dojo Loach has laid her eggs, they should be removed and placed in a separate tank to prevent them from being eaten. Large tank mates might pose a threat. When thinking about potential tank mates try to choose some fish that prefer the middle and top levels of the tank. If this plan of action does not show results, bloating could be caused by feeding habits causing constipation. In addition to Oregon, they may be illegal in states such as Massachusetts, Maine, and others. That, and this fishs interesting bristle-faced appearance make it an ideal choice for dojo loach tank mates. The head of the Loach is somewhat pointed, which is somewhat typical in this family of fish. Algae form part of the wild Dojo loachs diet, and they will graze on algae in your tank. Dojo loaches are egg layers. Do You Know How Many Betta Fish You Can Keep in a 20 Gallon Tank? Goldfish: One of the few fish species that can be housed with goldfish is the dojo loach. Youll need to keep an eye on the pectoral ray. , ponds, and website in this browser for the next time I.... Make it an ideal choice for dojo Loach tank, able to feed your dojo Loach is more susceptible Ich... P. dojo loach tank mates loaches dojo loaches can live in a soft substrate such as shrimp will. Theyre at ease, theyll stay out in the hours before a storm, as as. By adding infected dojo loach tank mates, or not properly sanitizing your cleaning equipment dark brown to with! 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