Loaches Online Forum

So the first day I put all the new friends in the tank our dojo was happily playing with everyone. Now, the last 24 hours or so he seems to have realized that although he's got all these new friends, his buddy's still gone. He shows absolutely NO signs of illness, nor does anyone else in the tank, though I can't give you exact water parameters cause I don't have a test kit at home yet, everything tested fine when I went to the lfs. He just seems to have lost his appetite and is mopey. I hadn't thought much of it till I found him laying on his side just now, though again, there's no visible signs of distress. Could he just be mourning?

It is hard to tell what a fish is thinking. I would assume that he has realized that none of these new fish are his original friend.

When you get your water checked at the LFS, have them write down the actual numbers. They will often say water is okay even if the Ammonia is .25-.5. I record all the numbers and keep a log of all things about my 9 tanks. When you have the budget, get your own test kit, about $32 at Petsmart.

Keep your water clean, and your fish will probably make friends with the new fish. My Dojos are different ages, and all hang out together.

stress may have stopped it feeding,is fish eating,do the fish seem to get on okay,takes time for fish to get used to new ones.
lying on its side though is not a good sign its the best sign of a fish on its way out,could be age or poor conditions,check environment.