Breeding dojo loaches

[mcdaphnia]

These are dojos or weather loaches, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus. I bought some big ones and now once in a while I find two or three little ones in the tank with them when I suck out the muck from the gravel. Also when I brought in the fish and tropical plants from the pond, I found half a dozen brown baby dojos out there and one big albino adult. I keep the tropical pond plants indoors in the winter and move them outside for the summer. The loaches get down in the gravel, so they could go for a ride when I move a pot. Anyone have more a "productive" method of breeding these?

[Diana]

Seems like the little ones like to burrow. Perhaps monitor all the water parameters and replicate these in a large enough tank, but with something like Soil Master Select as a substrate.
Keep track of the temperature for a month or so before they breed, GH, KH, pH, TDS, temperature...

Some fish are triggered to breed with a change in water parameters. For example Corydoras breed when the water gets cooler. This generally happens when the rainy season starts. Soon the river will be flooding, and lots of food will be available and the predators will be wider spread out, less likely to find baby Corys.

Also, many temperate zone animals will only breed at certain times of the year. They are timing the young to be growing when the largest supply of food is most easily available. Also, the parents will be able to find enough food to build back up after the biological expense of breeding, so they have some fat reserves to make it through the winter. I do not know if these fish are so timed, but it may be a factor. When you set up a tank put the lights on a timer, and change the timer to replicate the changing seasons.

Plenty of rich food (aquatic worms and other things) available so the adults can build up the food reserves it takes to breed.