dojo/weather loach question

[loachnoob]

Been looking at these a bit, friends of mine highly recommend them. What I can't seem to find is if they require schools or if they prefer to be alone? Thinking about adding a few to my 125 but not really sure how they'll interact with the loaches I already have. Lastly, are the golden ones albinos?

[NancyD]

I've been wanting to try weather loaches for many years but they are best at cool-cold temps not like your tropical botias. Several states don't allow them, including MA...but I did see them for sale on occasion when I lived there.

I would not keep less than 3, like many loaches they're social. I'm guessing a 55g 4ft tank is a minimum for 3 & a school of cool temp "dither fish".

[loachnoob]

I'm still temped to add 3, despite my 125 gals tank being on the upper end of their preferred temperature zone.

[NancyD]

Now, I'm a loach addict too. But although dojos CAN live at higher temps than their optimal it may well shorten their lives or cause health issues...Plus, I thought this was to be a planted tank...you know they'll dig. Like me, I think you should wait until we can house them well.

[loachnoob]

Yup, im gonna pass on them. Probably will look into it for a future tank

[NancyD]

Me too! Still waiting for the right time! We'll both get there sometime...& we'll be glad we waited, I know they'll be cool!

[Dojosmama]

Dojos (weather loaches) prefer company of their own kind, either golden or regular. At least three, or if your tank is large enough, up to five or six. In a 125-gallon, that should be fine.

They do prefer cooler temps, in the low 70s.

They're peaceful community fish, and cute as can be. Not sure if they're compatible with your other loaches, as I have never put mine with any other loaches. Maybe someone else here can answer that one.

[Dojosmama]

Just thought I would add: I have a planted tank, and my dojos don't bother the plants. Mine don't dig, but I have rounded pea gravel for a substrate instead of sand. If I had sand, they might dig. I had one awhile back that would bury itself in the gravel, diving head first and completely submerging. So, it's still possible.

[Bas Pels]

Reading your post, I think `You admit your tank can be improved, whay don´t you?`Because a gravel substrate is plainly not what a dojo needs

[ChocolateCake123]

I know this is a bit late, but I should give my 2 cents. I have 1 weather loach in my tropical tank (water temp is 30 C) and he is frisky, eating well, and seems to be happy. You should be fine.

[ATY]

I have 2 dojo's in a 55 gal with a pool sand substrate. Water is 78F. They are happy and pretty large 10 inches and 1 1/4 diameter. They are very entertaining and strange. They will hold at different angles and sometimes with their heads straight down perfectly vertical while passing gas, yes gas. They swim to the top and take in a gulp of water and later expel it. I highly recommend them even in a community tank. I have even caught wild ones in our local river( west central florida). They are hardy.

[ChocolateCake123]

Just thought you might want to know this, but I do not recommend adding yoyo/zebra loaches in with your 2 weathers. I had 4 yoyo and 7 zebras in with mine and he was being almost continuously harassed (mainly by the yoyo loaches). I can, however, recommend clown and kuhli loaches as tank mates for weather loaches.

[ATY]

Thanks for the reply. The dojo's have the 55 gal to themselves with a single tank mate. A large tiger. I do have a small wild caught dojo in a 120 gal heavily planted with assorted loaches and botias (angelicus, tri colored) and local river darters. I consider the river darters as the north american version of loaches. They are awesome and we catch them in the upper hillsborough river along with dojo's and even farwalla's (stick catfish from south america). Florida is full of fish from everywhere.

[ChocolateCake123]

Does Florida have clown loaches? If you caught one you could cook it like a small carp or mackerel, as clown loaches are pink-fleshed oily fish like the aforementioned 2 others

[loachnoob]

i ended up adding 5 dojos to my 125 - amazing fish and more active than all my beloved loaches. Today we put our kids hands in the tanks (4 year old and 18 month old) and they were having a ball with the dojos nibbling on their tiny fingers! They'll literally swim into your palm with or without food.

Since I've added them, I've lowered the tank temp to 76 and everyone is loving it.