Loaches Online Forum

Hello,

I'm rather new to this forum, and I had a few questions about the 2 Weather loaches that I purchased today from my local PetSmart.

What are the temps that they are best kept, I understand that they are cool water fish. What other loaches can be kept in cool water aquariums? (I have a 75 gallon)...I also plan on 2 gold fish as well.

I had a predator tank going, but I found that it's time to go back to basics.

What do the weather loaches like to eat the most too?

Thanks,
Shane

Hi Shane - Welcome to LOL!

Firstly, congratulations on your purchase - weather's really are fantastic little loaches! Probably not what you might call pretty, but they have loads of character and some really amusing traits. You'll fall in love with em!

A 75gal is a good size tank for weather loaches and they are excellant tankmates for goldfish as they have such simular requirements, so your pretty much on the right track already.

Your correct on the temperature too. They do prefur cooler waters - try to keep the tank in the region of 16-22c. This is also one of the reasons why weather loaches are not really suitable to keep with any other type of loach. Most loaches such as those from the Botia genus require much higher temperatures up to as high as 30c, so they are definately not suitable. There are other loaches that prefur lower temperatures such as those from the Balitoridae family, but these are completely opposite to weather loaches in almost all other requirements and need highly oxygenated, fast-flowing water with specialist care, so these are'nt suitable either. Unless someone else can suggest something that I have'nt thought of, I'd stick with just the weather's as far as loaches go.

Also, do you have gravel, or sand in the tank? Weather loaches love to burrow and scavinge for food in the substrate. If you have course or sharp gravel then they will quickly damage they're sensitive barbels or 'whiskers', so if you have gravel you should probably consider switching to sand.

As for food, they just LOVE frozen bloodworms, although to be honest they're not really that fussy and I have found mine to eat almost anything. They should even take food from your hand after a while!

Just one other thing worth mentioning: Make sure that your tank is well covered with a tight fitting lid. Weather loaches are masters at escaping and can jump out of a tank through even a seemingly small gap in the lid!

Gary

Well, actually now that you mention it...

My substrate is pretty much sand, and I was wondering why they were burrowing. I don't have a good lid as of yet, but thats because I haven't been able to find a good one yet. So right now, they water level is just lowered enough.

Thanks for the welcome, and I have one more question...do Spotted Weather Loaches get bigger than the Golden Dojo Loach variety? All of the gold ones at my LFS are WAY smaller.

Thanks,
Shane

No, probably not. The gold one's are more than likely a variation of the same species. I've heard reports of them reaching sizes of 30cm+, but this size is highly unlikely to be reached in an aquarium. I've had mine for a year or so and they are'nt much bigger now than when I got them at about 10cms.

For more info, have a look at the LOL species index.

Hmm...
Well, alright.

Thank you for the heads up!
I am debating on weither or not buying some goldfish today...I was thinking Ryukin, what do you think would go best with my weather loaches? Before too long I want to get one of the gold varietion as well.

Thanks again,
Shane

my inclination would be to go for several more weather loach and maybe three goldies. I can't be doing with the fancier ones myself, I find those incredible distorted body shapes a bit much. they tend to have health problems due to them, too.

phoenix eggfish are kind of cute and don't tend to have the health issues that the very distorted ones have. they're NOT easy to get hold of, though.

bristol aquarists has a good site for goldfish:

http://www.bristol-aquarists.org.uk/gol ... ggfish.htm

but the fancies are specialist fish and they're not easy to keep. I find the overbreeding a bit unpleasant, but that's just me...

Hey Hey,

I would NOT be opposed to getting more Weather Loaches!
I was thinking of getting some of the gold ones at my LFS...

I'll still possibly get maybe 2-3 goldies though...I was thinking of Telescopes and a Black Moor...but hey, whatever I can find that looks healthy.

Shane,

more weather loaches

cool!

Hi Shane and welcome to LOL.

You'll be wanting one of these......

http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/lo ... botia.html

Martin.

That would be sOoOo cool...

Shane,

sophie wrote: I can't be doing with the fancier ones myself, I find those incredible distorted body shapes a bit much. they tend to have health problems due to them, too.

I find the overbreeding a bit unpleasant, but that's just me...

Yeah, I'd agree with that. Mass produced fancy goldfish these days are generally weak as p**s. It's the bubble eyed one's that I object to most, poor fish wobbling round with huge bags of fluid hanging off their eyes - its just not natural.

Hello again!

Just wanted to let you know that as of today I am the very PROUD owner of 4 Weather Loaches. I have a question about them though...my two oldest ones were marked at Petsmart as "Spotted Dojo Loaches"...but to be honest, they aren't very spotted at all...they are more metallic colored, but they aren't gold. My newest two today ARE very much spotted, however.

I also got 2 fancy tail goldfish and 1 calico telescope.

Shane,