I've been having some trouble finding concrete information on dojo loaches. I was looking to get just a couple of them to add to my goldfish tank. I have a 55 gallon tank with four fancy goldfish, all about 2 inches long including tail. I don't want to overstock my tank, or compromise my goldfish's health obviously. How much space do dojo's require?
I've also read that they are bottom feeders, my tank doesn't seem to have much algea, so what else would I be able to feed them?
I know they don't breed until they're mature, around two years, but I don't think I have any desire to breed these. Are there ways of telling their sex when they're still young?
I've done some reading and know they need places to hide, like to bury themselves and tend to be escape artists. Is there anything else I should know before I go out and purchase a couple of these little guys?
Full Version: Dojo Loach Questions
Hi Gerbie,
I've recently added 3 Dojo's to my 50G. with only 2 goldfish. Not too sure that you would have too much surplus room when your goldies mature, but I can tell you they eat pretty much anything goldies do. They love peas, shrimp pellets, tubifex worms, and pretty much anything goldies do. They will feed with the goldies,,,high or low, Dojo's are real characters and get along "well with others". There is a forum for loaches with alot of info. Just google "loaches". Good luck whatever you decide.
I've recently added 3 Dojo's to my 50G. with only 2 goldfish. Not too sure that you would have too much surplus room when your goldies mature, but I can tell you they eat pretty much anything goldies do. They love peas, shrimp pellets, tubifex worms, and pretty much anything goldies do. They will feed with the goldies,,,high or low, Dojo's are real characters and get along "well with others". There is a forum for loaches with alot of info. Just google "loaches". Good luck whatever you decide.
Gerbie,,,,forgot to mention,,,,everything I have read states that Dojo's breeding in aquariums is quite rare!
They do best in groups of 3 or more. They are a very tactile fish and like lots of contact with others. If there are not enough dojos in a tank for them to pile up with they may start bothering your other fish by trying to swim along them and bump along their sides.
Males tend to have a more pointed set of pectoral fins, with a longer and thicker first ray of the fin, and my prop themselves up on them sorta like how we will prop ourselves up on our elbows when laying down. The females have more rounded pectoral fins with a smaller less sturdy front ray on the fins, they are less likely to support the front of their bodies with their fins. However spawning in indoor aquariums is extremely rare. Almost all dojos you see in pet stores have been caught from the wild.
Dojos are also known as weather loaches and may start swimming excitedly or erraticaly through the tank before or during a rain or storm front. When they do this they sometimes tend to jump out of the water, this is when they are most likely to get out of the tank. They can sometimes survive for hours outside of a tank as long as their skin does not dry out.
Dojos can absorb oxygen through their guts. They will sometimes go up to the top of the water to gulp air, this is normal for them. This is a natural adaptation as their natural habitat dries up during parts of the year and they burrow in the mud and absorb oxygen to survive.
Dojos like to have gravel or another substrate to burrow in. If you do not have gravel you may want to look into a hidey hole of some sort for them, just make sure your goldies cannot get stuck in it. Dojos will dig up any plants from their roots by burrowing under it and pushing up. Mine like to rearrange the plants every couple of days. They even flip over their cocunut huts and push the big piece of driftwood all over the tank.
Finally dojos have scales but they are so small they are considered to be a scaleless fish. This causes them to be more sensitive to some medications you may add to the tank. They do not like salt in their water.
Other than all of this they are wonderful fish to have and they can have as much personality as goldfish do...if you can tell them apart.
Hope this helps.
Males tend to have a more pointed set of pectoral fins, with a longer and thicker first ray of the fin, and my prop themselves up on them sorta like how we will prop ourselves up on our elbows when laying down. The females have more rounded pectoral fins with a smaller less sturdy front ray on the fins, they are less likely to support the front of their bodies with their fins. However spawning in indoor aquariums is extremely rare. Almost all dojos you see in pet stores have been caught from the wild.
Dojos are also known as weather loaches and may start swimming excitedly or erraticaly through the tank before or during a rain or storm front. When they do this they sometimes tend to jump out of the water, this is when they are most likely to get out of the tank. They can sometimes survive for hours outside of a tank as long as their skin does not dry out.
Dojos can absorb oxygen through their guts. They will sometimes go up to the top of the water to gulp air, this is normal for them. This is a natural adaptation as their natural habitat dries up during parts of the year and they burrow in the mud and absorb oxygen to survive.
Dojos like to have gravel or another substrate to burrow in. If you do not have gravel you may want to look into a hidey hole of some sort for them, just make sure your goldies cannot get stuck in it. Dojos will dig up any plants from their roots by burrowing under it and pushing up. Mine like to rearrange the plants every couple of days. They even flip over their cocunut huts and push the big piece of driftwood all over the tank.
Finally dojos have scales but they are so small they are considered to be a scaleless fish. This causes them to be more sensitive to some medications you may add to the tank. They do not like salt in their water.
Other than all of this they are wonderful fish to have and they can have as much personality as goldfish do...if you can tell them apart.
Hope this helps.
Dojo Loaches are wonderfull fish. I have a tank that contains just a pair of these playful characters I did have 3 but lost one as it managed to escape the tank it was a golden dojo
Heres a site you may find interesting as it has all you need to know about dojos just scroll down page it tells all from water conditions to feeding and breeding
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/loaches/DojoLoach.php
Heres a site you may find interesting as it has all you need to know about dojos just scroll down page it tells all from water conditions to feeding and breeding
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/loaches/DojoLoach.php
I have 3 of these wonderful fish. I used to have 4 but 1 escaped and my mum didnt notice until it was too l8 (i was at uni). They are very playful and will eat the same as the goldfish. I have a bare bottom tank, so they like to pile up in the corner under the internal filter. I can tell mine apart, they have different markings and 1 is quite fat looking! They sometimes get in a strange mood and swim with my goldies, but they dont seem to be bothered by them.
They get very excited during the winter months when it tends to rain alot, mine have just started to become more active and swim along the front of the tank. I have made sure that they cannot escape and have blocked up holes.
I would get at least 2 as they do better in groups.
They get very excited during the winter months when it tends to rain alot, mine have just started to become more active and swim along the front of the tank. I have made sure that they cannot escape and have blocked up holes.
I would get at least 2 as they do better in groups.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.