Dojo loach care
Misgurnus anguillicaudatus · East Asia
Dojo loaches are long, playful cold-water loaches that burrow in sand and get restless before storms.
- Tank size
- 55 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 55 to 77 °F (13 to 25 °C)
- Group size
- 3 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 10 in (usually 6 to 8 in in aquariums)
- pH
- 6.5 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 19 dGH
- Lifespan
- 7 to 10 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 55 gallon
48¼ × 12¾ × 21 in outsideHow to keep dojo loaches
Dojo loaches are long, playful cold-water loaches that burrow in sand and get restless before storms. A group in a 55 gallon or larger covered tank suits them, including goldfish tanks. They are invasive in parts of the United States; never release one.
Diet: Omnivore: sinking pellets, frozen foods, worms. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Dojo loach tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Comet goldfish
10 in · 75+ gal · 50–75 °F
Common goldfish
8.7 in · 75+ gal · 50–75 °F
Kissing gourami
12 in · 75+ gal · 72–82 °F
Shubunkin
12 in · 75+ gal · 50–75 °F
Fancy goldfish
8 in · 20+ gal · 64–74 °F
Oranda
8 in · 30+ gal · 64–74 °F
Ryukin
8 in · 30+ gal · 64–74 °F
Pearlscale goldfish
8 in · 30+ gal · 65–74 °F
Keep apart
Discus: No shared temperature: dojo loaches need 55 to 77 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
German blue ram: No shared temperature: dojo loaches need 55 to 77 °F, German blue rams 78 to 85 °F.
Oscar: Oscars are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as dojo loaches.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as dojo loaches.
Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempseys are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as dojo loaches.
What a dojo loach tank needs
A tank of 55 US gallons or more (such as the 55 gallon) with a tight lid (they jump), and the equipment below. Dojo loaches are comfortable at room temperature, so a heater is optional in a normal home.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Aqueon QuietFlow Canister Filter 200
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon dojo loach tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Seachem Tidal 55
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon dojo loach tank without being built for a far bigger one.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding dojo loaches.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, but its display reads 64 to 86 °F, so it can’t show the bottom of the 55 to 77 °F dojo loach range. Check it with a second thermometer that reads below 64 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 55 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common dojo loach problems
- They escape through gaps; keep a tight lid.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Misgurnus anguillicaudatus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Dojo loach PrinceNimblesoft, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Comet goldfish Michelle Jo (Humanfeather), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Common goldfish ぱたごん, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kissing gourami 5snake5, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Shubunkin Rodsan18 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Oranda Lawrencekhoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ryukin Lawrencekhoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pearlscale goldfish Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Oscar H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Dempsey Sviemeister (English Wikipedia), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kuhli loach Iidkk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Clown loach Vlad Butsky, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf chain loach Stefan Maurer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
.jpg){kind=link}
,_2017.jpg){kind=link}
