Loaches Online Forum

A little while back, some of the plants got shreaded by general loachy activity, and my boyfriend thought that we might be able to save them. So he rigged up a basket with a couple floats so that it would stay just beneath the surface of the water in hopes that they would regrow being away from pecking and closer to the light. Some of the plants went in as root masses, but the badly shredded ones I attached onto a piece of plastic mesh in hopes of turning it into a ground cover for the shrimp tank.

The strange part came when the dojos moved into the basket very shortly thereafter, and spend all day sitting inside the basket, on the floats, and most strangely -- out of the water sitting on top of the attempt at ground cover.

These loaches in the pic are just fine, they swim up and wiggle themselves onto the top of the plant with just thinnest layer of water covering themselves, and have been doing this for about a month now -- its gotten to the point where I dont want to take away their 'yard' -- and none of the other fish want anything to do with the basket either.

So, heres an example of the yellow one sitting mostly out of the water, and the brown one just under the surface (the algae is growning on the part that sticks out of the water, and just doesn't want to come off the basket)


In the plant


Lounging in the basket



I'm not sure what to make of it, I just assumed that if they're ok after all this time, then they probablaly wouldn't be doing it was uncomfortable to them

I have floating plants just for my Dojos! They always lay in it, on it, through it, . . . They love plants. When the plants disappear (I assume some of my plecos eat them), I replace them with cheap floating plants (anacharis, hornwort and cabomba -- I know it isn't a floating plant, but it floats in my tanks after 5 minutes) for the sake of the Dojos. My African Butterflies also like to lounge in it. I think it gives them a sense of security. My Dojos are so lazy I think they like that they don't even have to try to float. I would definitely leave the plant baskets for the enjoyment of your Dojos. Of course, tonight is a rare moment that my Dojos are not in the plants, or I would post a picture of them.

I bet if you wanted to remove the basket, but left floating plants they would lounge in the plants.

Bluefrog, you have discovered a new hybrid
Part Dojo Loach, part Mudskipper!!

Here's a picture of my Dojo lounging in the plants. I just moved a bunch of horn wort in there, and immediately a Dojo arrived to check out the plants. There was also an African Butterfly in the plants.

The water is really not dirty. My Bristlenose has been slacking in his glass cleaning duties. I don't clean the side panels. I figure it is extra dinner for someone.

Thanks for posting your pic too -- i feel better now that i know mine aren't the only ones being strange!