Help! Dojo Loach Advice

[Zucchini_Muncher2]

Hi there! This is my first post here so I hope I’m posting this in the correct place! If not please let me know and I will correct it!

Also sorry, this is going to be a little wordy. I have a lot of background to give.


I’ve been keeping fish for a little over a year now but I still consider myself new to this compared to others in the hobby. My knowledge is still very basic and I just try to keep the water parameters steady and the fish happy.


I got a golden dojo loach a month or two back since I was reading they could live alone and they get to a decent size. But the more I look the more it seems everyone is recommending they live with a group or at least one friend. The store I got him from said he would be fine alone so I believed them. I had one as a kid so I just assumed some things I shouldn't have and took the store's word at face value. It was a local fish store and I usually trust those more.

I have a common pleco named Gordon who is maybe 9-11 years old at this point. He is a bit on the smaller size due to being in a smaller tank before I took him in but he’s still a good size. They told me my tank would be big enough for the both of them. Gordon has been around one Golden Dojo in the past and they were pretty chill together.



My dilemma is I don’t know if I should keep the dojo alone, try and rehome him, or possibly get one more dojo friend if my tank permits.

My hope would be to get him a friend as I’ve gotten very attached. However, Gordon is my top priority in the tank as he is the only reason I upgraded in the first place. He came to me in a 36 gallon and the person I got him from claimed that was enough for him.

My tank is 120 gallons and is 4ft long. It is not planted but if anyone has recommendations I’m open. All my plants die so any help on that I’d also appreciate. It’s got lots of wood for Gordon and some dead coral and barnacles for Piker. My goal is to replace all the coral with wood eventually but for now it’s what I have.

Both Piker and Gordon keep to themselves usually though they don't mind one another. Piker and Gordon even eat Zucchini together and neither seem stressed out by the other.

Piker doesn't seem lonely to me, he has a big appetite and likes to explore the tank often. I just don’t know if he's lonely and I want to do what’s best for him and Gordon. I love them both but I don’t want to overstock my tank and make them stressed out.

Any advice helps! Even if it’s just about keeping these fish in general (alone or together) I’d love more tips and tricks! I will also answer any question about the tank even if they are off topic to the conversation!

 

[Back in the fold]

An interesting dilemma . I wouldn’t worry about it that much . Some fish absolutely crave the companionship of their own kind . That’s your schooling / shoaling fish and they pine away for their own kind if on their own but I’ve never heard that about a Dojo Loach . Just off the top of my head , not really knowing , and since you’ve grown attached to the creature , I would consider him a specimen fish , like Gordon , and be content with that .

 

[fishorama34 9]

I'm a loach fan but never kept dojos. They were illegal in my last state & I never seem to have a tank for them now. I bet he'd like a friend to play with, they are social from what I've read & seen. Loachy enabling

Easy plants are java fern or anubias. They are attached to wood not planted in substrate.

You know we love pics, hint, hint

 

[gimme30]

Dojos are one of my favorites! I bred them years ago and have usually had at least one up until recently. On quantity I'll say this....one will be absolutely fine by him/herself despite what you read on the internet or in specialist books. They seem to be able to amuse themselves regardless of the other inhabitants/or lack of in the tank. Having said that, they are a social fish and absolutely hilarious in groups so feel free to add more-In your tank with just Gordon another 3 or 4 dojos would be fine. Make sure you've got a secure lid because they are jumpers! You also might want to pull the coral out now to avoid any damage. Dojos aren't scaleless but do have sensitive skin.

As for plants, well.....I am a well-known aquatic vegetation murderer so you don't want my advice in that arena. As you've no doubt seen by now they are active fish that will go bonkers with pressure changes so make sure whatever you plant is sturdy and well-rooted.

 

[Boundava12]

I have had (golden) Dojos before and can say the dynamics are entirely different with a group. Females are bigger than males and in a group they will all huddle on top of each other and swim (loach about) with each other. You have a big enough tank for a group.
I am assuming the loach is Piker? Not sure why you have the barnacles and coral in for it, they can cut themselves easily on sharper objects. I had one smaller male get stuck in a tight spot and get a bend in it's tail, so its new name was kinky, lol.
They do go bonkers with weather changes, its funny to watch.
Now I wish I could get some again...lol.

 

[Zucchini_Muncher2]

Dojos are one of my favorites! I bred them years ago and have usually had at least one up until recently. On quantity I'll say this....one will be absolutely fine by him/herself despite what you read on the internet or in specialist books. They seem to be able to amuse themselves regardless of the other inhabitants/or lack of in the tank. Having said that, they are a social fish and absolutely hilarious in groups so feel free to add more-In your tank with just Gordon another 3 or 4 dojos would be fine. Make sure you've got a secure lid because they are jumpers! You also might want to pull the coral out now to avoid any damage. Dojos aren't scaleless but do have sensitive skin.

As for plants, well.....I am a well-known aquatic vegetation murderer so you don't want my advice in that arena. As you've no doubt seen by now they are active fish that will go bonkers with pressure changes so make sure whatever you plant is sturdy and well-rooted.

I think I’ll consider getting a few more! Maybe only one for him to cuddle up with and see how they fare that way! I just know they get quite large and I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew for now.

My goal with the coral is to replace it all with wood eventually. It’s from my grandpa’s old salt tank from many years ago and I didn’t want them to feel like they had nowhere to hide.

 

[Zucchini_Muncher2]

I have had (golden) Dojos before and can say the dynamics are entirely different with a group. Females are bigger than males and in a group they will all huddle on top of each other and swim (loach about) with each other. You have a big enough tank for a group.
I am assuming the loach is Piker? Not sure why you have the barnacles and coral in for it, they can cut themselves easily on sharper objects. I had one smaller male get stuck in a tight spot and get a bend in it's tail, so its new name was kinky, lol.
They do go bonkers with weather changes, its funny to watch.
Now I wish I could get some again...lol.

Yes, Piker is my Dojo!

Coral and barnacles were just the best I had at the time. I’ve been slowly replacing it with natural wood but that stuff is expensive.

Good news on that is I just got a new job so I’ll have some more funds to spend to make the tank a better fit soon! Thankfully the barnacles are so old they're mostly smooth around the edges. They’re also fairly big, Piker can sit comfortably inside for now but he's growing fast.

I’m also hoping to replace all the barnacles with some caves soon! Waiting on that first paycheck lol

 

[Zucchini_Muncher2]

An interesting dilemma . I wouldn’t worry about it that much . Some fish absolutely crave the companionship of their own kind . That’s your schooling / shoaling fish and they pine away for their own kind if on their own but I’ve never heard that about a Dojo Loach . Just off the top of my head , not really knowing , and since you’ve grown attached to the creature , I would consider him a specimen fish , like Gordon , and be content with that .

Even if he’ll be fine alone I think I’d still like to get him a friend if my tank parameters permit it. Do you think one more would be alright for the tank? I’m mostly concerned about overwhelming Gordon (Pleco).

 

[Zucchini_Muncher2]

I'm a loach fan but never kept dojos. They were illegal in my last state & I never seem to have a tank for them now. I bet he'd like a friend to play with, they are social from what I've read & seen. Loachy enabling

Easy plants are java fern or anubias. They are attached to wood not planted in substrate.

You know we love pics, hint, hint

I’m definitely really considering getting him a friend! I’ll do some more thinking just to make sure it’s the right choice but I’m definitely leaning that way now.

Also here's some pics of the boys (I think). Piker liked so bury himself sometimes in the sand which is pretty darn cute lol

Don’t mind the background. I put the food in the more bare corner of the tank so it’s easier to clean up after. Usually they don't like the zucchini skin and they leave some chunks behind.

 

[fishorama34 9]

Thanks for the pics, cute! The way to tell dojo gender is by the length of the pectoral fins. Males have longer 1s. Piker's look more short & rounded (girly), but I'm not sure if it takes them a while to grow.

Male plecos often have more bristle-like growths (odontodes) on pectoral spines, often on/in gill covers or along their body.

 

[Zucchini_Muncher2]

Piker’s definitely more rounded and short when it comes to the fins. I’d say its a pretty good chance he’s actually a she lol

But he’s still a young guy so maybe he’ll do a bit more growing.

As for Gordon I’ll try and get a better look at him tonight! He mostly comes out at night unless he’s eating.

 

[fishorama34 9]

It doesn't really matter their genders,, more just an FYI for fun. 2 male plecos may be a bit pushy but I never heard of dojos having issues.

 

[Zucchini_Muncher2]

Yeah I don’t mind if they’re boys or girls. Their names won’t change anyways lol

Its just neat to know

 

[Boundava12]

Males like to use their pectorals to do "push ups" on the substrate, they are adorable.
With a 120 gallon you should be good with getting more. They don't have a big bioload so adding another 1-4 should be fine. Glad you have sand as loaches love to dig themselves in, and like to drape themselves on leaves. When I had them in my heavily planted 75 gallon, they would drape onto my anubias leaves like it was a floating couch. They are really entertaining fish.

 

[fishthatfit]

Adding one or two more is the right call, but the thing that decides how well it goes in this particular tank is temperature, and nobody has raised it yet.

Dojos are a temperate fish. They do best somewhere around 65 to 75F and plenty of people keep them unheated. A common pleco wants 75 to 82F. The two ranges only overlap in a narrow band, so if the tank is sitting at 78 to 80 for Gordon, that is the very top of what Piker should ever see, and running warm shortens a dojo's life over years rather than showing up as anything you would notice this month. I would hold the tank at 74 to 75 and not go higher. That suits both of them, and if you would rather keep it warmer for Gordon, I would not add more dojos.

Two other things. Get a lid and block the gaps, including the cutouts around the filter. Dojos are the best escape artists in the hobby and they will find any hole, usually at night or when a weather front comes through.

And the plants dying is probably the pleco rasping anything soft plus not much light reaching the bottom of a 120. Anubias and java fern tied to the wood, as fishorama said, is the answer; they take low light and they are too tough to be worth eating. Worth knowing too that the dead coral is slowly dissolving and pushing your KH and pH up while it is in there. Neither of these two minds hard water, so it is not urgent, just something to be aware of.