dianeej

I just bought my Golden Loach this morning and put him in my office tank. He of course hid at first, but then he started swimming around so I thought everything was fine. Now I see he keeps coming to the top and poking his head out and is kind of leaning up against the heater. Is this normal behavior for a loach. I have 2 loaches at my tank at home and they have never done this. They rarely come to the top but I have a 35 gallon Hexagon tank which is deep, and this one in my office is a reg 20 gallon tank. Do you think he is OK or should I start to panic? He just acts so different than my ones at home.

MissMTS

It would help us pinpoint the problem if you could answer a couple of questions for me:
1. Is your tank cycled?
2. How did you acclimate him?
3. What other fish do you have stocked in the tank?
4. What are you ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite readings?
5. What is the temperature of your water?

dianeej

Wow, that was quick. Thank you.

I am in the process of getting my tank cycled. I tested yesterday for ammonias and it came in at 0. I had the DoJo on hold at the fish store since last week. I was afraid they might not hold him to much longer, so I stopped and picked him up this morning.

I took my readings this afteroon and my ammonia was back up to .25, my pH is at 6.0. Nitrites are 0 and the Nitrates are 0. I am worried I might have pushed this too quick.

I have 2 mollies in with him, and 2 danios and that is it so far. The danios have been in there for a week, and the mollies I put in this morning as well. They so far seem to be fine.

I put him in the tank in the bag for 30 minutes and then I turned him loose.

My temperature is 72.

I have an option. If you think there is a problem, please let me know and I can take him home with me and put him in my tank with my other 2 golden loaches, or would I be doing more harm than good by moving him again.

Thanks for all of your help.

Butterfly

Hi welcome to FishLOre!
Loaches prefer to be in groups(at least three) and are very sensitive to any Ammonia or Nitrites so it would probably be better to move him until the tank is cycled.
They are also adapt escape artists and many have ended up on the floor. Maybe he was checking the outside world out Here's some interesting information on Dojo Loaches. http://www.loaches.com/species-index...guillicaudatus
Carol

MissMTS

I was gonna answer, but Carol said it all for me. I hope he starts doing better once you move him

For future reference, its best to acclimate a fish by floating the bag for 15 minutes and then adding a little bit of tank water to the bag every few minutes after that. You can then turn him loose after about 30 minutes. The more gradual the acclimation is, the happier your fish will be.

dianeej

Thanks you guys. I am going to take him home and I will do what Carol suggested also and let the bag float for 15 minutes and then add some tank water to it. I appreciate the help.

Thanks also Butterfly. I will check out that site too.

04_si

is 72 degrees low? dont the mollies danios and loaches like temperatures about 78-80 ish

Butterfly

Loaches in general like warmer temperatures but Dojo Loachesare cool water loaches(50-77F) along with danios(68-80F) although I think the Mollies do need a little more warmth.
Carol

04_si

You know too much carol haha. I knew hillstream loaches were cooler temp but not dojos

Butterfly

I just love Loaches and have researched this one extensively (I WILL have some one day) and have had 7 or 8 other kinds at one time or another
Oh and... you can never know too much
Carol