Loaches Online Forum

I am getting a big tank for my birthday and I want dojo loaches. What size tank should I get and how fast do they grow?

Hi corey236,

Adults will require a well-covered tank at least 4ft long, as at certain times they become very active and are capable of fast bursts of speed. Juveniles grow fairly quickly, so I wouldn't start them off in anything under 3ft long myself. Our species profile should give you a bit of additional info: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/we ... licaudatus.

Emma

What about temperature would I need an adjustable heater or are the automatic ones ok?

And how many gallons does a 4 foot tank for them usually hold? I want to get at least 3 of them.

When talking about tanks for loaches, I usually prefer to talk in dimensions rather than volume (as the footprint is the most important factor).

If you are unsure, there are many helpful calculators out there which help with working out the volume from a set of dimensions, such as this one here on the PFK site: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/p ... ulator.php

For example, an aquarium measuring 48" x 18" x 18" holds roughly 67 US gallons, but you have to allow for displacement of the water by decor and equipment, so the actual volume will be slightly less.

Hope this helps,

Emma

Ok, so it has to be 4 feet long how wide and deep should it be? And is 4 foot long big enough for 3 of them?

four foot would be good, for the tank.

I think my dojos are about six inches, but I'm expecting them to grow a bit more...

4' x 13" x 18" (L x W x H) is a standard 45 gallon tank. This will work.
I also have a 4' x 15" x 15". This is a better footprint, because Loaches are bottom dwelling fish. They are not so concerned about more gallons if those gallons are in tank space they do not use. Get the longest, and widest tank you can find room for in your house. Then think about height as extra gallons for other species of fish that thrive in the same conditions as Dojo Loaches.
A 4' long tank will be fine for 3 of them, and even the lowest tank will have room for some tank mates that like swimming in the upper areas.

Thank you, that is exactly what I wanted to know.