Loaches Online Forum

I have a golden dojo/weather loach and I intend to buy him a companion asap. However, despite many sources telling me that dojo/weather loaches grow to large sizes he has never grown larger than around 10cm, and the large ones in pictures always seem to be brown. Are brown and golden ones actually different species (meaning that I would have to get specifically another golden one)?

AFAIK the 'Golden' ones are tank bred varieties of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus. This is the same as the fish sold as Dojo or Weather Loach, so buying more of either color (wild/mottled color or golden) should work.

For maximum size they should be raised in large tanks with frequent water changes.

There are several other Loaches that look a lot like Dojo Loaches, but usually are smaller. I have seen these sold as Peppered Loaches, but there are more than one species, often sold in a mix, and not specified by the wholesaler, so the store people may not know what they are. I do not think there are any 'Golden' varieties of these species commonly available in the trade.
Here is a link to the species guide here at Loaches, showing some of these other species.
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/pi ... ter-bodied

Look into each of these species, if you think you see some in the stores. I think many of their requirements are similar to the Dojo Loaches, so may get along OK. Since they stay smaller they may be better choices if your tank is too small for Dojo Loaches.

Diana wrote:AFAIK the 'Golden' ones are tank bred varieties of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus. This is the same as the fish sold as Dojo or Weather Loach, so buying more of either color (wild/mottled color or golden) should work.

For maximum size they should be raised in large tanks with frequent water changes.

There are several other Loaches that look a lot like Dojo Loaches, but usually are smaller. I have seen these sold as Peppered Loaches, but there are more than one species, often sold in a mix, and not specified by the wholesaler, so the store people may not know what they are. I do not think there are any 'Golden' varieties of these species commonly available in the trade.
Here is a link to the species guide here at Loaches, showing some of these other species.
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/pi ... ter-bodied

Look into each of these species, if you think you see some in the stores. I think many of their requirements are similar to the Dojo Loaches, so may get along OK. Since they stay smaller they may be better choices if your tank is too small for Dojo Loaches.

Thanks! However, if there is no difference in the growth of golden and other coloured dojo loaches why has my current one not grown even close to the 20-30cm some sources say that dojos reach? If I get a bigger tank (which I plan to do asap) will he grow to this size?

Yours may start growing again in a larger tank.
It is not only the size of the tank, but also the water quality. A larger volume of water can dilute the wastes better between water changes.

Some fish produce growth retarding hormones. In nature, this would slow the growth of the fish temporarily in a dry season, with ponds or whatever shrinking. When the rains resume, these hormones are diluted or washed away in the streams that flow again, so the fish can grow again in the changing season. If this is true of Loaches, too, then you might be able to encourage some growth with more and larger water changes.

You can safely put the brown mottled dojos in with the golden dojo. They're still dojos, and they should get along fine.