Considering loach 4 "55 G" freshwater,Weather loac

[moonbunny]

RE: Can Kulhi's, too, detect/respond to barometric changes?

Hi there,

I'm a newbie to your forum, 'though not to fish--in some aspect, I've had fish continuously for nearly 33 years (since childhood,) always brought up to be a responsible and caring fish keeper

I have a "55 G" tank (about 208 liters, right?) that realistically holds about 44 gallons (166.56 liters,) maybe a bit less with decor if I'm doing my math right, lol. For health reasons I need to under-stock the tank (meaning, I don't have much room for tons of fry of any sort, likely,) but for fish reasons, I'm trying to make it the best for them in all ways.

The current, and sole occupant is a BN Pleco (female, I believe) that I've had for 5+ years---I adore her, she's a very good fish. During a hang-on-the-back to faulty canister conversion she suffered some fin damage--they just don't open up fully anymore despite *endless* and often water changes, so she just swims a little slower than she once did and acts a bit more vulnerable for it. This is why I'm trying to compose a tank full of very peaceful, un-intimidating tank mates for her.

The other day I saw a Dojo loach at the pet shop again--I love how fluidly they swim, their habit of burying all but their heads and just watching the world go 'round...besides, they remind me remotely of just about my favorite fish overall, catfish, without being cats.

I understand Dojos are peaceful, can grow 8-12" (20-30 cm) have been known to eat out of their person's hand, and are sensitive to changes in barometric pressure and are cold water fish. Being that I've a tropical tank, I understand Kuhli loaches may be the next best fit?--only growing up to about 3 in (7.6 cm,) and being tropical--- What I'm trying to discover next is: Are they peaceful (I'm aiming for a tank of peaceniks,) can they also be hand-trained, and maybe most importantly, can they, like Dojos, sense changes in barometric pressure?

The reason being is I have a bevy of conditions made worse by storms and my 9 year old pup is terrified by storms and needs calming medicine *prior* to storms for it to have any effect. As of next week we officially begin our Monsoon season here in Arizona, meaning that we can go months without rain, but when it hits it's quick--first we can see the giant thunderheads (which may or mayn't mean rain,) then come the several stories tall, fast-moving haboobs--walls of sand so dense it's often hard to seen 1/2 a mile ( about .8 km) away, then, (in a sense) if we're lucky we might catch some rain in the order of flash flooding and, if at night, *tons* of thunder and purple lightning. The idea of having a fish around who could give us an early warning of an impending storm so we could treat ahead of time. Do Kuhlis possess this gift, too?

Thank you *so* very much!
Looking forward to hearing from you soon, too
Moonbunny

[Diana]

Bristlenose Plecos handle a wide range of temperatures, but I think their optimum range is somewhat cooler rather than overly warm.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/ge ... _id=4#1081

Based on that and the nice tank size, I would go for the Weather Loaches. Then add a school of something that swims higher in the tank. Perhaps something like one of the larger Danio species, or some Turquiose Rainbows. Active fish, but fine at temperatures in the lower 70s.

[moonbunny]

Hi Dianna!

Thanks so much for writing and seeing through my clumsy subject line (I'll have to make a rule of never posting while sleepy, no matter how much I'd love to know the answer, lol!)

I'll swing over to Planet Catfish and see how it jibes with them, then go ahead : )

I keep saying to myself--Oh! How easy it would be to just pick the fish that look pretty and not give so much care to their needs and likes across their entire lifetimes...as well as who will get on with whom (sigh!) In the end I guess it's good the best things in life don't come easy...but I'm *so* glad to have found this forum and board! It's to Loaches what Planet Catfish is to Catfish

Thanks again, Dianna!

Ever,

Moonbunny

[Diana]

That is how I ended up with so many tanks. I wanted so many fish and each had different needs.

[sorce]

GODOJO

[sorce]

GODOJOs they like each others company, I finally got a second.

1 gold 1 gray the grey one I've had is about 6-7 inches. He lets me pick him up. Doesn't really predict Chicago Weather, but who can.
Probably work in AZ though. I think the weather here is too wild for him too pick up on

[Diana]

And the weather here is too mild. Maybe once a year we have a really wild storm come at us fast enough that the barometric change might be noticeable (if that is how they do it). Usually the weather just sort of drifts in.

My Dojos do not seem to predict the weather. They just cruise around looking for that last snail, or bury themselves. One of their tank mates is a Bristlenose Pleco. There is also a small group of Liberty Mollies in there.