Basic info on Gold Dojo Loach, a.k.a. Golden Weather Loach

[Stephie]

I decided to type this up for anyone else planning on getting, are already have, a Gold Dojo Loach. I love mine, as I have 4 in a 55 gallon tank. The Gold Dojo Loach tends to be bigger than others, my biggest one is 9 inches long.
I wouldn't recomend keeping more than one in a 20 gallon. They don't fight, but for this long bottom feeder, it's commen sense as they are always hungry, and will attack if something takes "their" food.
Their eyesight is terrible, and at a uneducated guess, they live in the murky, muddy bottoms of rivers in Asia, where eyesight doesn't count for much. But don't take it from me, that's just a guess.
They usually eat the dead scales of my other fish. If you want a pretty decor like I did, but also want a Dojo, forget it. They've tipped over my statues and root-up even my most heavy plants, and replanted them elsewhere. But they have a load of personality, so that makes up for it.

BE SURE TO ALWAYS HAVE YOUR TANK COVERED. My one dojo, Mia, had escaped. I wasn't possitive why, until I looked around and clued together how it happened--they can crash into walls, and fly up into the air. Once, again, uneducated guess.
The good news is, she survived. They can form a mucus to keep themselves moist.
They like to bury in the ground, so gravel is not encouraged. Sand is mine's favourite. I thought Mia had just buried into the sand, which is why she wasn't looked for. Found three days later, no harm, illness, or any other after-effects remained. She was back in the tank and healthy in minutes.

This is what I have wrote out for anyone else considering them. These were my first fish, and I love them more than any other fish I have. If you are a near-begginner, I advise these. But even if you aren't, they are an excellent--not great--excellent addition to any tank. I'd be happy to answer any other questions.

[John]

I like the fact that you touched on their personalities, because they really are interesting. All of mine in the past used to nibble on my fingers when I put my hand in the tank.
Also, they are definitely hardy - once, when I bought a new one at the pet store, the bag popped in the employee's hand and the loach fell to the floor and under a cabinet. I got him out and took him home and he's healthy to this day. Great fish.

[Soniacyc]

Do dojo loaches eat snails?

[Fishnut2]

Great post Stephie!

[starrfish71]

Hi-
I have two of these guys, along with one "regular" dojo- I have noticed lately the golds, which are smaller than the brown, have been getting thinner.

I feed a wide variety of foods, have tunnels and caves, and their tanks mates are a few rainbows and one small catfish. I see them eat every time I feed. They are active and all over the tank, lying over branches, plant fronds, hanging out by the filter intake, etc. They're just getting thin. The brown dojo seems fine, and there are zero signs of injury, or disease.

What is it????

I have had them for at least a year. They are small, but they were smaller when I bought them. they are in a 15gallon tank, which is small for an adult, but like I said they're only ~2.5 inches or so. I have plans to set up a 65g tank in the near future to move the inhabitants of this tank into.

The water quality is WNL, I use FW salt in all of my tanks, the temp is right about 76* F. I tried looking on line to see if there were any particulars for gold dojos, and everything I've found says they are hardy, easy keepers, not picky about water quality, not picky about food, not territorial, etc.

[Mr Aquarium]

http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/prof...dojoloach.html

[drosera]

I was fortunate enough to acquire a pair several years ago. I do belive they were a pair, as they both displayed characteristic male and female signs. Whatever the case, they were best of friends, inseperable.

This is one of the kinds of fish that made me take note of their behaviour. They are extremely curious, and I dare say intelligent. From day one, they knew I was the food person, and they had no qualms investigating my hands whenever I put my hand in the tank. They also loved to investigate the whole tank, including wher eI was adding water, when I did cleanups/water changes. On the whole, I found them friendly, adaptable, resilient, and curious fish.

What follows is a completely subjective view. The male died a couple of years before the female. Her depression at the loss seemed obvious to me. She was less active, ate less, and generally just moped around the tank for several months. Even my husband, who gave up any interest in the fish a very lng time ago, noticed it when passing the tank. Her buddy was gone, and she had lost all enthusiasm for living.

Fortunately this eventually passed, but she always remained much more timid than she used to be. I would expect this from a schooling(?) type fish, but I always wondered if she still harbored an emotional attachment to the one fish who had been her friend.

She's gone too now. I would reccomend them to anyone who is able to house at least 2 of them comfortably. They are very interesting and personable fish, and their needs are easy to fulfill.

Take care!

[starrfish71]

Thanks, Mr. aquarium
It's possible my pH is too high for them! Easily fixed.

[TheOldSalt]

Great thread, Stephie!

Now how about taking all of this info and combining it into a species profile for our permanent profile archive?

[Mr Aquarium]

Not the best pics, but here is where our 2 hang out most of the time, even if the water gets that low in the tank, they still hang out up there, head int he water and bodys hanging out. Good thing the cats don;t care about my fish tanks, lol