Dojo/Weather Loachs

[Jizoel]

I bought two Dojo/Weather loaches today, and they are really neat.

One of them has stayed burrowed with his head poking out since I got it.

First I thought one of them must have jumped out because I couldn't see it

Anyone else have any neat loaches?

 

[webmoose]

I have a hill stream loach. Its one of my favorites in my tank!

 

[Enki]

I love my yoyo loaches, they are funny fish. They love digging!

 

[Fruitbat]

I've got Yo-Yo Loaches, Botia almorhae, Red-tailed Loaches, Schistura subfusca, and Hillstream Loaches, Pseuogastromyzon cheni. Loaches are among my favorite fish and I'm always on the lookout for a new or interesting one in my forays to the lfs.

 

[madasafish]

I've got Kuhli loaches (Pangio kuhli) and LOVE them. Unfortunately, my friends all think they look like worms or snakes and dismiss them. Sheesh!

 

[targaboy78]

In my 35G, I've got;
4 Hillstream Loaches {Beaufortia kweichowensis}
http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/beaufortia_kweichowensis.html
1 Dojo Loach {Misgurnus anguillicaudatus / fossilis}
http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/wloach.html

I have 2 cats that ignored the tank for the longest time but starting about 6 months ago, when I added 'Dojo', they became real interested. It must be his swimming pattern or his size (or both) but the cats can watch him for what seems like hours at a time.

Paul.

 

[Fruitbat]

targaboy...

Beaufortia kweichowensis....VERY nice! Looks very similar to the one Allivymar has. I've never seen that genus for sale in this area but I guarantee that if I ever do I'll snap them right up!!!

 

[Allivymar]

Heh, no hillstream loaches for me. All my tanks have fish which need slow moving water (rams, angelfish, gouramis, betta) and I can't really give the hillstreams the current they truly need. Heck I feel guilty about the loaches I DO have (yoyos and clowns) as they don't have any fast moving water to play in (would explain why they're so fat tho LOL). They are too funny tho. The biggest one, a clown loach which is just getting over 4 inches long (was 2 inches when I got him 6 months ago) is the king of the loaches. Not of the tank tho; if anyone else, fish or human, comes near he is off and hiding in his cave LOL usually with his tail sticking out cause he's such a fat pig.

That being said, I think hillstreams are awesome. I also really like the weather loaches; they had a few in my lfs the other day. If I had room for em I'd have grabbed them, but no space for another 6 inch fish in my tanks atm. Theres a nice quick write up done by a friend of mine here: http://www.ftas.net/Fish_Catalog/dojoloach.html

This is my piggie:

 

[Jizoel]

They are both out now, but just relaxing. The one that was burrowed yesterday has found a nice place along side the side of the aquarium where a shell is touching. The other one is starting to dig around as I type this.

These are some neat fish.

 

[targaboy78]

Hi Fruitbat,

You wrote;

Beaufortia kweichowensis....VERY nice! Looks very similar to the one Allivymar has. I've never seen that genus for sale in this area but I guarantee that if I ever do I'll snap them right up!!!

The LFS where I bought these guys didn't refer to them as 'Hill Stream Loaches'... They were labeled "Chinese Butterfly Plecostumus".

I like them because they have that flat "Stingray" appearance.

Paul.

 

[Allivymar]

Typical of many lfs. I've seen the hillstreams often advertised as Butterfly Plecos, which is silly as they are not plecs at all. It seems some buyers just don't do their homework you know?

 

[webmoose]

Beaufortia kweichowensis.... is the kind I have. I keep my hob filter at highests output and clear of bateria growth and the lights are off more since I got him. I also find he likes when the water level is low eno8ugh that the filter is creating a current.

 

[fearlessfisch]

I think my two horseface loaches are about the cutest guys I've ever seen. They're graceful, long, and white, with long, bony horse faces and the most expressive, beady black eyes. They have personality, too. Like yours, they like to burrow with just their horse heads sticking out of the sand. When they scavenge, they follow each other around and wind around each other's bodies. Sometimes they sleep alongside or on top of each other.

Their long faces make them look thoughtful and intelligent, I think.

I LOVE my loaches!
fearlessfisch

 

[Jizoel]

I think I will get a couple fresh water clams to share the substrate with my loaches.

 

[jclubb]

I have a couple of Dojos. They are full of personality and fun to watch. When I first brought them home, one hid for almost a week (I thought he jumped out also) the other was out poking about in a couple of days. The only problem I have with them is that they are such *active* bottom feeders that I had to upgrade my marginal filter to keep the water clean. After I satisfy my MTS I am going to scout about for a golden dojo.
Cool fish.

 

[PlatyLady]

I took a peek at loaches for the first time at a LFS recently. I don't remember what kind it was, but it looked sort of eel-like. It looked a little scary, and too snake-like for me to look at for very long. I guess I'm snake-squeamish...

 

[illuminum]

I have one dojo loach in my 12 gallon tank. He can get very active sometimes until he sees me. Then he goes crazy and runs for cover. I've never had him burrow into the gravel, but maybe because my gravel may be too big for him to try.

I also have two clown loaches in my 30 gallon tall tank.

 

[Jizoel]

When I came home from school tuesday, one was burrowed with its tail straight up in the air, and its head poking out right by its body.

I didn't know what had happened to it

 

[thatlouguy]

I just picked up 3 Clown Loaches and they are so cool. They act more like dogs than fish. They're always sniffing and sticking their noses in the gravel, wagging their tails and their front flippers loook like little feet! They look very different from the "long bodied" ones shown posted above. Anyone have any info on where they got the name "Clown". They do this "spinning" thing and I thought it may be because of that. They're Great!

 

[hisc1ay]

I just picked up a clown loach today and now he's not around. Do clowns burrow?

On a related note, I saw some weather loaches at the lfs today, one of them was burrowed. I think I want to pick up a couple of those. They look fun.

-j