Loaches Online Forum

Our dojo loaches have holes in the back area (where you would maybe imagine a button to be) that seem a bit enflamed and bubbles keep coming out when they swim to the top. Are they just farting? Do I need to be concerned?

I change water super often so all levels seem fine.

Here's a video
https://youtu.be/-AdLMzSJz8Y

Thank you

I've heard that dojos do indeed "fart", they sometimes gulp air at the surface. I have not kept them so I have no first hand experience. Inflamed doesn't sound good though. Is the area red or just bloated? You might try thawed frozen pea "guts" (squish out the inner part from the outer "shell"). If they'll eat them, it may help.

If it's red or pink, I'd worry it could be more serious than just gas. How long have you had them? That red may indicate a parasite like camallanus worms...do you ever see red hair-like protrusions from the anus (vent)? They may come & go & need to be treated twice with something like flubendazole. Bacterial infections can cause redness too & would need a different treatment of antibiotics, I'm not sure what type would be best.

Hopefully someone else will have better advice. I tried to look at your video but it didn't seem to work for more than a few seconds. (sorry, we get spammed here often). What I could very briefly see did not look red or very bloated, but I won't be looking again.