Help stocking 60gal with dojo

[Muddify]

Hi, I am still fairly new to the fishkeeping hobby. (And new to this forum) I wasn't very smart at all when I first got into it and purchased a Golden Dojo Loach with only the information the store gave me in a small conversation. This Dojo has become my favorite pet very quickly, and I recently purchased a new 60 gallon tank for her as I now know the 29 is far too small.

I'm not too sure on the pairing of some fish as plenty of sources say different things, so I'm hoping the help of a forum who knows my specific situation can help! So here are a few questions.

I was looking into getting Pearl Gourami and Angelfish as some other stock fish to go with the tank. Would these two get along together? Should I get dither fish to help them, or would they just not work at all? (Unique and larger predatory fish tend to catch my eye but I don't want to put my Dojo in danger!)

Should I get my Dojo friends? Currently all I have going into the tank is her, and she's extremely jumpy. Would the tank support her and another Dojo or two? And would a friend help her confidence?

What other fish would you recommend me stocking? If I should get dither fish, what species would you recommend? Cleaners?

And finally, what plants would my Dojo not dig up? The only plant I have had some luck with was a Water Wisteria, which she eventually dug up a few times, and an Anubias.

My main focus on this tank is to have something large to relax me that I won't be concerned over my fish's happiness with. The most important thing about it is my Dojo's comfort and safety. PH and such are mostly adapted to her needs, but I can change it a little bit. Other interesting fish would be nice since this tank will be displayed in my room, but I can definitely sacrifice some pretty features for my baby girl. Thank you!

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum


A 60 gallon tank should be fine for angelfish and gouramis but just to be certain, what are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness) and pH of your water supply. This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

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Dojo/ Weather Loaches (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) are cool water fish, whereas angels and gouramis are warm water. That doesn't mean the loach can't live in warm water but they should have a cool period for a few months to help simulate their natural environment. Angels and gouramis won't tolerate cool water.

These fish also come from different water quality and usually have a higher pH and GH than angels and gouramis. Depending on what your pH & GH are, will determine what fish you should keep.

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Loaches prefer to be in groups and need lots of hiding places like plants and driftwood to hide in during the day. You can use lengths of pvc pipe and stick them together (side by side), to make triangle or rectangle shapes and each loach can hide in their own pipe.

Have floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) as well as other plants. The water sprite can be grown on the surface or planted in the gravel, where it turns into a lovely light green shrub.

Make sure you have a picture on the back of the tank to help the fish feel more secure.

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Stress from tank lights coming on when the room is dark can be an issue. Fish don't have eyelids and don't tolerate going from complete dark to bright light (or vice versa) instantly.

In the morning open the curtains or turn the room light on at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the tank light on. This will reduce the stress on the fish and they won't go from a dark tank to a bright tank instantly.

At night turn the room light on and then turn the tank light off. Wait at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the room light out. This allows the fish to settle down for the night instead of going from a brightly lit tank to complete darkness instantly.

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When I get the tank dimensions and water chemistry, I will offer suggestions about fish.

 

[yeti79]

White clouds would be good tankmates for dojo loaches.