So this dude in a local Facebook group wants to give me a pair of 6-7” ones. He keeps them with his goldfish and thinks my 125 G Goldie tank would be ideal. I’m reading they get up to a foot in the wild & half that in tanks. He says his wife is extremely upset because they look like snakes and he has to rehome them ASAP. I am amused given my husband said at the LFS: Look at those ugly worms, who’d ever want any? Well, I’m very interested. He said they would not fare well in my two 90 G African cichlid/syno cat tanks. I’m finding nothing to confirm or deny this thus far. I sure don’t want any compatibility issues. Y’all think the goldfish tank is best for them? He has a nice video up & they’re super active. No idea if this was a staged photo op or if that’s their natural behavior.
Any thoughts on Dojo Loaches?
- Thread starter Jacky12
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m.j.gomez
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hello, dojos like cold water like goldfish. They can live in tropical temps but it speeds up their metabolism & shortens lifespan.
They are voracious feeders & accidentally nip goldies. To remedy this I feed them sinking pellets then feed goldies flakes. They like veggies like raw cucumber & boiled deshelled peas. They also like caves, plants & other types of hides & sand substrate. Hope this helps you!!!!!
All that’s extremely useful. Thanks! But now I’m kinda scared. I love my beautiful Goldies. I have Shubunkins, Sarasa & fantails with lovely long fins. I sure wouldn’t want the dojos nipping at them. I feed them flakes & have several types of pellets around.
Now I’m thinking about putting the loaches in a empty 40 G breeder I have. This guy is keeping them with his goldfish & I will ask if they get nipped. The dojos were very active in his video clip. Is this typical behavior or did he force them into the open to get the video?
I’m sure glad you mentioned this possibility of nipping to me. I never even heard of this species until today when this dude offered them to me in a Facebook group. Today, I picked up a black angelfish from another person in the same FB group. She tossed in a bunch of American flag fish & they battered the Angel & nipped off a big section of the dorsal fin & tattered others. She’s an idiot who kept him with the aggressive fish until right before I arrived to get him.
Now I’m thinking about putting the loaches in a empty 40 G breeder I have. This guy is keeping them with his goldfish & I will ask if they get nipped. The dojos were very active in his video clip. Is this typical behavior or did he force them into the open to get the video?
I’m sure glad you mentioned this possibility of nipping to me. I never even heard of this species until today when this dude offered them to me in a Facebook group. Today, I picked up a black angelfish from another person in the same FB group. She tossed in a bunch of American flag fish & they battered the Angel & nipped off a big section of the dorsal fin & tattered others. She’s an idiot who kept him with the aggressive fish until right before I arrived to get him.
Thanks again for your reply, Mr. Gomez. I can’t thank you enough. I’m keeping those loaches in their own tank.
The guy giving them to me said they’re aggressive at feeding time & try to pig down all the food. My goldfish are chow hounds, but I would not call them aggressive when fed or any other time except when it got hot in the summer & some boys would not leave the girls alone & I had to put them in another tank until it cooled down.
The guy giving them to me said they’re aggressive at feeding time & try to pig down all the food. My goldfish are chow hounds, but I would not call them aggressive when fed or any other time except when it got hot in the summer & some boys would not leave the girls alone & I had to put them in another tank until it cooled down.
I decided to put the dojos in their own 40 gallon tank. Here’s what I did today with spare parts around the house. I have a HOB filter & sponge filter aerator not in use as well. I keep a big piece of extra foam in my sump, so will use that for BB. Will have to buy a lid only.
I wish I knew how to do a 90 degree rotation on some of my photos.
I wish I knew how to do a 90 degree rotation on some of my photos.
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m.j.gomez
Aquarium Advice Freak
Dojos are a great fish. They are not an aggressive fish just a little boisterous at feeding time. If you don't want goldies w/them try some zebra danios(65°-75°f).
They are such oddballs. If you see them laying on their side, hanging from plants or buried in sand no worries just resting You can also hand feed. Mine show no fear. Simply hold a pinch of food at waters surface & they will eat. Be warned they will nip arm when doing maintenance. It doesn't draw blood or hurt but will make you jump if not expecting it. They do require a lid but if you drop water line 3-4in it should be good.
Yeah, I’m delighted by all I’m learning about dojos. Never heard about them until this dude offered me a pair because they scare his wife. LOL.
I found a 16x36 hinged glass lid on Amazon for $35. They say that’s a half price sale. Some online source is saying dojos are best when kept in groups of 3-4. Do you agree? If so, I may consider some yellow ones. These are kinda a spotted camouflage color. If I were to add two yellow ones would the different colors bother the others? In general would the bigger older dojos pick on little guys? I’m reading dojos don’t get much longer than 6-7” in captivity, which is their current size.
I’m sorry if I’m bugging you with too many questions. But I don’t know anyone else who has dojos. May check to see if there’s a dedicated Facebook group. I’m in a few for specific breeds.
I found a 16x36 hinged glass lid on Amazon for $35. They say that’s a half price sale. Some online source is saying dojos are best when kept in groups of 3-4. Do you agree? If so, I may consider some yellow ones. These are kinda a spotted camouflage color. If I were to add two yellow ones would the different colors bother the others? In general would the bigger older dojos pick on little guys? I’m reading dojos don’t get much longer than 6-7” in captivity, which is their current size.
I’m sorry if I’m bugging you with too many questions. But I don’t know anyone else who has dojos. May check to see if there’s a dedicated Facebook group. I’m in a few for specific breeds.
m.j.gomez
Aquarium Advice Freak
I have 4. Each one was added at different times. None were ever aggressive towards each other. It's advised to keep 3 or more but I kept one for about a yr before adding others w/no problems. They do seem to enjoy being together. Mine are various sizes 8-11in.
Wow! Those are gorgeous! Are they difficult to find? Would they have to be ordered online? What size tank do you have?Weird how all these online sources were saying they don’t get past 6-7” in tanks. The
pair I’m getting are 1.5 years old.
m.j.gomez
Aquarium Advice Freak
I bought mine at Petco. Yeah I thought they would top out at 8in but they kept growing. I think it's because I would occasionally give market shrimp & boiled white meat chicken as treats.
Weird how all these online sources were saying they don’t get past 6-7” in tanks. The
pair I’m getting are 1.5 years old.
Forgot to mention if you have heater in tank make sure they can't squeeze behind or lay on it. I've had one get burned that way.
m.j.gomez
Aquarium Advice Freak
I have them in a 75 gal w/ 5 fancy goldfish & 3 female bn plecos.
So the dude dropped off the two dojos yesterday during his lunch hour. I tipped him for his time. I love them! The darker one is named Do & the other Jo. I can’t find any online that look quite like them & my photos are poor. They almost look like a hybrid between the Wild variant & the Golden.
Since seeing m.j. Gomez’s Golden dojos, I’ve been looking for a pair of my own. Petco has none now. Petsmart says they never sell any. I’m waiting for the 2 LFS to open. The SW shop downtown has a small nice FW collection.
Oh, look! My pic was not rotated! Yay!
Since seeing m.j. Gomez’s Golden dojos, I’ve been looking for a pair of my own. Petco has none now. Petsmart says they never sell any. I’m waiting for the 2 LFS to open. The SW shop downtown has a small nice FW collection.
Oh, look! My pic was not rotated! Yay!
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m.j.gomez
Aquarium Advice Freak
They may be a little stressed (pale)from the move. They are a hardy fish but when I moved last year they broke out w/ich.
I know they are a Coldwater & scaleless fish but I used salt & heat to combat parasite. So I know they can handle it short term. I used 1/2 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon of tank volume. & Slowly raised heat to 86°f. Treatment lasted approximately 14days or 7 days after all signs of ich & flashing are gone because ich parasite will sometimes bury in gills.
What temp do you keep your tank at? I like a lower temp house and the back area is 63F now. I have the dojo and goldfish tank unheated. The ambient temp rose above 80F briefly in the summer & I don’t think it bothered the goldfish any.
Now that you mention it, they did look darker in the first owner’s video. He had them in a 75 G crammed with too many goldfish IMO.
Now that you mention it, they did look darker in the first owner’s video. He had them in a 75 G crammed with too many goldfish IMO.
I just learned something interesting. Dojo loaches are illegal in certain US states. They are considered an invasive species due their ability to thrive. Petco & PetSmart said they never sell any & they don’t know why. The LFS owner said she gets her other fish from NY State where dojos are banned. I am seeing some gorgeous ones online & may order two, assuming they can legally ship to my state. They are only an inch long & I’d be afraid to put them with my new pair, 6-7”.
The online ones are called Queen Loaches.
The online ones are called Queen Loaches.
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m.j.gomez
Aquarium Advice Freak
I think that the queen loach needs tropical temps like the yoyo & zebra loach. I try to keep my goldfish tank at high end of temperate range. 70° seems to work. But in summer it's been up to 78°. If it gets higher I'll setup a fan to blow on surface & use frozen water bottles to lower temp.
Ok, thanks, good to know. I wanted to maintain a cold water tank, but will do further research & reconsider. I think the ones I have are called Pepper Dojo Loaches.
My goldfish seem to do fine with ambient temperatures. 63F to ~83 for a brief period at the higher end. I’m hoping the dojos will ok in the same temp range.
My goldfish seem to do fine with ambient temperatures. 63F to ~83 for a brief period at the higher end. I’m hoping the dojos will ok in the same temp range.
