weather loach behavior suspicious

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CJHP
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:06 pm

weather loach behavior suspicious

Post by CJHP » Sun Dec 01, 2013 5:03 pm

I have a pair of weather loaches in a 55g tank. I didn't realize how difficult it was going to be keeping the temperature in their range. (60 to 70 Fahrenheit.) The best temp that I can maintain so far is 70-72. (due to ambient temperature of my home) One of the pair, I have caught twirling on more than one occasion. What seems to look like bladder disorder. But for 3 months the fish behaves normally. Except for those couple of instances. The most recent moment that the twirling occurred I noticed a LARGE discharge of air. While gassiness is normal behavior, I believe the twirling is related. Possibly just discomfort. For the time being the temp is holding at 70. Would anyone like to comment on keeping these loaches at the high end of the recommended temperature? A chiller is possibly in the future because I know I cant maintain that temp all summer long. Advice from any goldfish keepers on temperature control would be valuable. Thanks

The Angry Loach
Posts: 85
Joined: Sun Aug 04, 2013 12:03 am

Re: weather loach behavior suspicious

Post by The Angry Loach » Tue Dec 03, 2013 1:48 am

When The summer hits here, I keep the lid off of the tank and in the coolest room in the house. Often the bathroom. I've got a bigger aircon for the next coming summer that should keep things cool. I lost a large goldfish over this summer due to heat spikes that cranked the tank to 90 degrees. If a big aircon isn't your best option, the cooler will be really helpful. I've found that LED lit hoods run so much cooler than any other bulb I've dealt with. It's about a 5 degree difference. The twirling could have something to do with the water conditions. Make sure you test your water levels for nitrates, nitrites, pH, and ammonia. If the fish is gassy, you might need to change his diet a bit. I give all of my fish a blend of treats and goodies. I do raw veggies, blood worms, brine shrimp, flakes, algae wafers, live algae, ect., ect. That keeps my fish a lot less gassy and I rarely see any bloat since the diet change.
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DainBramage1991
Posts: 274
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 8:56 pm
Location: Northern New England

Re: weather loach behavior suspicious

Post by DainBramage1991 » Wed Dec 04, 2013 11:23 pm

weather loaches also get "gassy" from their habit of gulping air from the surface of the tank. This is normal behavior, but if they seem to be doing it more often than normal you may not have enough dissolved oxygen in the water. Make sure that there is a decent amount of agitation at the water surface (from pumps/filters) and add airstones as needed.

Another plus to increased surface agitation is that it can contribute (in a small way) to cooling the tank via evaporative cooling.

As with all loaches, water quality must be very good. I suspect you knew that already. :)

CJHP
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:06 pm

Re: weather loach behavior suspicious

Post by CJHP » Mon Dec 09, 2013 6:22 am

It has been a week since my original post and yesterday during water change the same loach exhibited the same behavior. Almost looked like he was chasing his tail. I quite appreciate the responses. I will certainly look into a LED hood. ($$$$$) The other loach out of the pair has never seemed to react to weather changes. But this weekend in eastern Ohio we definitely experienced a range of temperatures. Perhaps this is just his weather dance? Oh and API master test kit scored my dojo tank perfect across the board. (cant say the same for my gourami and cichlid tanks) This morning both fish are just peachy.

Dojosmama
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Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 11:37 pm

Re: weather loach behavior suspicious

Post by Dojosmama » Tue Dec 10, 2013 5:05 pm

To The Angry Loach: Keeping the lid off your tank could result in your loaches escaping. Weather loaches are notorious for escaping the tanks through any opening large enough to accommodate their size. Just thought I would warn you...

As for the twirling (first poster) -- if there are changes in barometric pressure, dojos tend to go crazy. They can twirl and race around the tank and dart up and down, becoming little acrobats. It could be that your loach was simply reacting to changes in weather, hence the name "weather loach".

-- dojosmama

emmaorabelle
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2023 3:25 am

Re: weather loach behavior suspicious

Post by emmaorabelle » Thu Feb 01, 2024 3:54 am

The same loach displayed the same behavior yesterday during a water change, one week after I first wrote this. appeared to be chasing his tail in several ways. I'm grateful for the replies. Without a doubt, I will research LED hoods. ($$$$$) One of the two loaches has never appeared to respond to variations in the weather. But there was definitely a range of temps this past weekend in eastern Ohio. Is this just his weather dance, perhaps? Oh, and the API Master Test Kit gave my Dojo Tank a flawless score overall. (I can't say the same for my cichlid and gourami tanks.) Both of the fish are doing great this morning.  tunnel rush 

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