Looking For One More Tank Mate For Dojo Loach (that Aren't Goldfish)

[tetra]

Hello,

 

So a while back, I posted a topic on stocking options for my 75G aquarium. And I was recommended a 2 dojo loaches and rummynose rasboras. (20 of them). I feel as if the tank need just a couple more fish (But aren't past 4 Inches). Just in case some didn't see it, I'm also moving 5 Murray rainbowfish to the tank as well. So that bumps up the total fish to 27 fish. That sounds like a lot but most of the fish aren't that big like the rasboras that are only 1-1.5 inches. All of these fish are cold-water so I'm not gonna have a easy time looking for unique tank mates. I've been looking for weeks for something different cause all the fish I come across are goldfish, sunset variatus platy, rosybarbs, and other more common fish. Does anyone know something that is a little different and more interesting?

 

Also, I want to know if my tank is already over-stocked or if I have have enough space for a few more fish and in what quantity can I keep.

Thanks In advance.

[Biotope Biologist]

There are several larger danios that prefer coldwater. They are a bit… rambunctious. So just a warning there. 
 

Otherwise you can look at trying rainbow shiners or smaller sunfish species. Both these options tend to be more docile and skittish

 

Your stocking is fine. I wouldn’t stress to much about overstocking.

[Ninjoma]

How cold do you plan to keep the water? Most tropical fish will also do fine in the low 70s. Here are some suggestions:

-Bolivian rams

-Honey gourami 

-Apisto borellii 

-longfin leopard danios

-Long-Finned White Cloud Mountain Minnow

-beckfords pencilfish 

-Florida flagfish

[tetra]

On 5/14/2023 at 11:34 AM, Ninjoma said:

How cold do you plan to keep the water?

I was actually hoping you'd ask this question. During the day, the tank is around 67.5F. I'm not so sure at night but I'm assuming around 60-65F.

This temp may not be accurate sense I don't have a temp gun @Ninjoma.

On 5/14/2023 at 11:27 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

Otherwise you can look at trying rainbow shiners or smaller sunfish species. Both these options tend to be more docile and skittish

The smallest sunfish I could find is the Orange spotted sunfish. Sites claim they reach half a pound thought they only get in some cases 6 inches. I don't want it to eat the rasboras.

[Ninjoma]

On 5/14/2023 at 11:38 AM, tetra said:

I was actually hoping you'd ask this question. During the day, the tank is around 67.5F. I'm not so sure at night but I'm assuming around 60-65F.

This temp may not be accurate sense I don't have a temp gun @Ninjoma.

In my opinion, the easiest solution to this dilemma is to throw in a 100w aco heater set to 70-72 degrees. Then you have tons of options. 

Alternatively for fish to consider that could do well on the mid 60s, I would try:

-Florida flagfish

-Reticulated hillstream loach

-Long-Finned leopard danio

-Long-Finned White Cloud Mountain Minnow

[tetra]

On 5/14/2023 at 11:49 AM, Ninjoma said:

In my opinion, the easiest solution to this dilemma is to throw in a 100w aco heater set to 70-72 degrees. Then you have tons of options. 

Maybe panda corydoras cause their in that range. Or bristlenose pleco.

Will dojo loaches eat shrimp or larger snails? I've never had shrimp or snails. I've been wanting to have them for a while. I've heard dojo loaches eat snails, but some say that their dojos haven't ate their snails. I'm not so sure about shrimp though.

[Ninjoma]

On 5/14/2023 at 12:04 PM, tetra said:

Maybe panda corydoras cause their in that range. Or bristlenose pleco.

Will dojo loaches eat shrimp or larger snails? I've never had shrimp or snails. I've been wanting to have them for a while. I've heard dojo loaches eat snails, but some say that their dojos haven't ate their snails. I'm not so sure about shrimp though.

When I was considering dojo loaches, my LFS reccomended against keeping them with shrimp because they pretty much nibble on everything to see if it's food. 

[tetra]

On 5/14/2023 at 12:13 PM, Ninjoma said:

When I was considering dojo loaches, my LFS reccomended against keeping them with shrimp because they pretty much nibble on everything to see if it's food. 

What about snails?

The largest aquarium snail is the sulawesi. They get pretty big (4 inches) Though I don't think its gonna be easy to find them on sale. Will dojo loach eat that?

[Ninjoma]

On 5/14/2023 at 12:53 PM, tetra said:

What about snails?

The largest aquarium snail is the sulawesi. They get pretty big (4 inches) Though I don't think its gonna be easy to find them on sale. Will dojo loach eat that?

I definitely think there is a chance that the dojo loach will try to eat giant rabbit snails. It could be worth experimenting though, if you are willing to take the risk. 

[Biotope Biologist]

There are some pygmy sunfish species that attain a maximum of 2” I would buy a infrared thermometer. You may be surprised how warm the water is.

 

I have a “coldwater” tank no heater and I sit very comfortably at around 67. Really doesn’t fluctuate that much. Water is a much better thermal insulator than air.

[tetra]

How many Pygmy sunfish are supposed to be in a school? I've only seen 3 together, a dominant male, a beta male, and one female. Is that supposed to be the school their in @Biotope Biologist?

I've been also thinking about gold barbs too, about 8 of them. Would that work?

[Biotope Biologist]

These fish are entirely different from their larger counterparts as far as temperament goes. Pygmy sunfish are very shy and would not like boisterous tankmates such as barbs. But barbs can live easily with loaches if that’s your preferred route. Especially since pygmy sunfish aren’t super common atm

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Gold barbs or rosy barbs could go in there. Pandas or palleatus corys, Scleromystax barbatus, and all the suggestions have been great so far. Have fun it’s a great tank stocking. I’ve got a single gold dojo named Mr Squiggles and he’s going to go tubing this summer. 

[nabokovfan87]

If you haven't, I would encourage you to check out Bentley Pascoe on youtube.  He keeps those same fish and keeps them with a variety of other fish.  I'll try to grab a related video and attach it below.   He is also a member on the forums here which is quite awesome!

 

 

 

[Flumpweesel]

Gara rufa are fun cool water fish that so far haven't been mentioned get a few though the are cute when they kinda log pile at rest.

 

[Lennie]

@dasaltemelosguy may have some suggestions 

Edited May 21, 2023 by Lennie

[dasaltemelosguy]

On 5/21/2023 at 3:33 AM, Lennie said:

@dasaltemelosguy may have some suggestions 

 

@tetra, I have dojos in 2 tanks, a 75 and a 120. They are mixed with mostly South American cichlids and in the 75, with shubunkins. I keep the tanks at 77* as a compromise to accommodate the range of the various fish types.

Insofar as personalities, they are without question the most delightful fish I’ve had. Very friendly. They swim into your hand and even allow you to lift them out of the water. They enjoy hand feedings too. They can be challenging in a couple of ways. They make a mouse-like scream when you net them which is unnerving at first. You will hear them often, especially at night making a typewriter-like noise as they eat. They are extremely curious and have literally swum up into the vacuum during maintenance. They take in air and become buoyant, so you’ll find them upside down floating as if dead, but a nudge and they reveal all is well.

They are dangerously good jumpers. They also poop clouds of white that can look like smoke, and you’ll see them passing gas often. Right after they eat sometimes, they are buoyant and will hold themselves in positions that for any other fish would be indicative of extreme duress or even death. I no longer panic when I see a dojo upside down or contortedly twisted around a filter hose. For a dojo, that’s just chilling out.

They have no aggression and are fine with tiny fish. I recently got some stunning but very young GBRs from @Guppysnail who would easily fit in the dojos mouth, but they seemed uninterested. In fact, the nervous new GBRs at first clung to the dojos for safety for some odd reason.

I’ve had mine for about 2 years. They were severely ill when I got them and had them in medicated quarantine, but I’ve not had an issue with them since. I do realize the environmental conditions are suboptimal for this mix, but they’ve never been ill since their QT ended and seem happy and active. I base this on nothing but personal observation but the overall health and energy I’ve experienced in their tanks has made me rethink the relative value of a fear-free environment for fish in general.

This is a 2-minute video of mine in the 75 with shubunkins, rainbows, acaras, snails, GBRs, plecos and more and in a 120 full of severums and acaras:

Mostly Dojo's

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

There is always the OG cold water fish, the paradise Gourami. Might be a bit aggressive for some of those fish but in a 75 with large stocking numbers I don’t think it would stress them to much.

[tetra]

On 5/20/2023 at 9:07 PM, Biotope Biologist said:

These fish are entirely different from their larger counterparts as far as temperament goes. Pygmy sunfish are very shy and would not like boisterous tankmates such as barbs.

I really like gold barbs so I think I'll look for another tank mate.

On 5/21/2023 at 12:18 AM, Flumpweesel said:

Gara rufa are fun cool water fish that so far haven't been mentioned get a few though the are cute when they kinda log pile at rest.

 

Doctor fish do look pretty neat. Though they do get pretty large at 5 inches, I'm worried they may take up the bottom section of the tank sense they like to be kept in groups.

 

Also, If I do get a doctor fish, I'm gonna make an appointment for a pedicure because why not 🙂

[Flumpweesel]

I kept a pair with my goldfish and they seemed happy enough so you could get away with 2 or 3 they are a long fish but not overly bulky, and they are grazers so will sit on  any flat surface and the sides of the tank they don't confine themselves to the gravel. 

[MAC]

Hoplo catfish 

[QC Aquaholic]

On 5/14/2023 at 2:38 PM, tetra said:

The smallest sunfish I could find is the Orange spotted sunfish.

Do you know a place that sells orange-spotted sunfish?

[mynameisnobody]

Rainbow Shiners 

[tetra]

On 2/29/2024 at 3:38 AM, QC Aquaholic said:

Do you know a place that sells orange-spotted sunfish?

Unfortunately, I don’t. I just mentioned them as a possibility, I never got them and currently have no sources to find them.