Dojo Loach Tank Size and company?

[eelliott]

We have a beautiful Golden Dojo (squiggley) approximately 4" long, in a 10 gal tank with 4 glowfish and 1 guppy. I'm wondering if this tank is large enough for him, and whether he (or she?) is OK being by him-herself? Seems to be acclimated OK, but I sorta fee like he should be in a larger tank. Any suggestions/thoughts? Any input would be appreciated. Thank you!

[DainBramage1991]

In time your dojo will likely get much longer, maybe twice his current length. The smallest tank I've kept them in is a 20 gallon-long, but that was on the small side and I think that a dojo would be much happier in a tank with a larger footprint. My suggestion would be to put him in a tank that's at least 48" long, such as a 55 gallon. Dojos are large and active, and will take advantage of any space you can give them.

They are also very social and while your little guy (or gal) might have acclimated just fine, he would be much, much happier if he had at least 2 other dojos to play with. With a larger group, you get the fun of watching the comical interactions of these lively and goofy fish.

As with most loaches, the footprint of the tank is more important than the volume, so if you are in a pinch a tank like a 40-long (48" x 12") works just as well as a 55 (also 48" x 12", but taller). A 40 gallon breeder is another tank I've considered using for a loach habitat, they're 36" x 18" x 16" tall.

Good luck!

[Diana]

Ditto:
Dojo Loaches get way too big for a 10 gallon tank, and like having some company.
I keep them in a tank that is 48" long, and they use the whole tank, zipping back and forth, dashing to the surface and all around.

I would definitely get a larger tank, and some friends for your Golden.

I keep mine with larger fish than Gups or Danios, but they might be OK with smaller fish. Dojos are not so predatory that they would eat adult Guppies. MAYBE they would eat baby Guppies. I do not know. I have Ramshorn snails in this tank, and a Nerite, but other Dojos in the past have been more aggressive toward snails.
Recently the weather has been changing, and they sure live up to their reputation as weather predictors!

[Dojosmama]

When smaller, Dojos can be kept in a 20 gallon tank, but only two or three, max. As soon as possible try to move them to a larger tank. They will grow, and they can become quite large. I currently have mine in a 65-gallon tank, having relocated them from my twenty about a year ago. They're very happy. I went from three to five, the smallest being slightly over two inches and skinny as a pencil, but with the same voracious appetite as the rest. Some Dojos become thick-bodied, others stay thin, regardless of how well they eat. Just the way they're built ...

-- Dojosmama