Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Freshwater Loaches > Dojo Loach

Dojo Loach - Weather LoachOriental, Japanese, or Chinese Weatherfish, Dojo, Amur

Family: Cobitidae

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Misgurnus anguillicaudatusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Ken Childs

     The Dojo Loach or Weather Loach is a true curiosity! Its name is derived from their habit of becoming very active when there is a weather change!

     This remarkable fish is quite hardy and adaptable, very easy to care for. They wiggle about in an eel like fashion scavenging the bottom for leftover bits of food, even munching on snails. They also like to dig and burrow into the substrate often burying themselves. Provide an aquarium that is large enough for its playful antics, have a soft substrate of sand or fine gravel, and have a good filter for the detritus they stir up. They are most active in the evening, so during the day they like hiding and resting places created with rocks and wood. Plants are nice but they should be potted.

     The Dojo Loach or Weather Loach is available in both its wild form and in a gold variety. In its wild form this loach has dark greenish gray to dark brown spots over a yellowish brown body (often mottled) with a paler belly. The body is cylindrical, it can be thin or heavy, and there are five pairs of barbels around the mouth. The gold variety can range from a yellow to an orange color and they are usually thin bodied. They do have spots but they are usually extremely faint.

     These fish have some very unique qualities. The Dojo Loach or Weather Loach are very 'pet-like'. They can be trained to take food from your hand and even enjoy being touched. They are jumpers. Should they happen to leap out of their home they can survive for a time even out of the water. A couple of ways they do this is by producing a thick mucus coating that keeps them moist; and by being able to swallow air, absorbing atmospheric oxygen through their hind gut.

Gold Dojo Loach Misgurnus anquillicaudatus (Color Morph) Photo  © Animal-World: Courtsey Ken Childs

     The Dojo Loach or Weather Loach makes an excellent community fish with other non-aggressive tank mates. They love to socialize with other fish and loaches sometimes resting with them or sometimes chasing them about, but they don't hurt them.

     The Weather Loach we are describing here, Misgurnus anquillicaudatusis, is one of three species commonly referred to as a weather loach. The other two are Misgurnus fossilis and Cobitis taenia. They all come from similar environments and have similar behaviors. The two Misgurnus species are identified by their color patterns with the M. anguillicaudatus being spotted and the M fossilis having horizontal stripes along the body. It is still being discussed whether the spotted one is simply a subspecies of the striped one, though they come from different geographical areas.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Care and feeding:      Since they are omnivorous, the Dojo Loach or Weather Loach is not a picky eater and will generally eat all kinds of live foods, sinking pelleted and tablet foods, flakes, and algae. They like frozen foods as well. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake or tablet food everyday. Feed mosquito larvae and brine shrimp (either live or frozen), tubifex, daphnia, and some vegetable foods such as algae wafers. They will also eat snails, so are good for snail control.
     This fish prefers a good sized aquarium (30 gallons or more) with places for retreat such as rocks, caves, and roots. Also use subdued lighting. They do best with frequent water changes of about 10% a week. Because they are constantly scavenging for tidbits and burying themselves in the substrate, use a sand or fine gravel that does not have sharp edges. Be sure to provide hardy plants with the roots protected.

Distribution:      The Dojo Loach or Weather Loach are found in Asia: Myanmar and Northeastern Asia and southward to Central China, Japan Siberia, Korea, and Hainan. They inhabit rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, and rice fields; preferring the muddy bottoms. They have also been introduced into the wilds of Australia and Hawaii.
     They are a food fish in many Asian countries, especially Japan.

Size - Weight:      These fish reach about 6" (15 cm) in the aquarium, but in the wild these fish are generally reported to reach up to about 10" (25 cm), and the Baensch Aquarium Atlas, Volume 2 reports up to 20" (50 cm).

Social Behaviors:      A very good community fish, they get along well with other loaches and tank mates that are non-aggressive. They are quite lively and active, especially in the evening. They will scavenge about the substrate for tidbits of food and love to dig and burrow. Good for snail control.

Sexual Differences:      Mature males can be identified by the second pectoral ray being long and thick, and it appears more triangular than rounded.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:      These fish are mostly bottom dwellers, but will spend some time in the middle and top of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:      Hardness: no special demands
     Ph: 6.5-7.5
     Temp: 50 -77 ° F (10 -25 ° C)

Breeding/Reproduction:      It has been said they have been spawned accidentally, scattering tiny red adhesive eggs, but not much more is known about the breeding habits of the Dojo Loach or Weather Loach and they are not yet bred commercially.

Availability:      The Dojo Loach or Weather Loach is the most common loach and is readily available.

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Latest Comments
I have had my weather loach for nearly a year. It keeps going upside down and floating to the top of tank, but still alive. I can't figure out what's wrong, can anyone help? jemma 2010-02-09
I've had my dojo loach for about 2 months but I did not know it needed sand of fine gravel, is this a major problem because I have never seen it try to dig into it. Also he never seems to want to interact when I feed him or clean the tank, does this mean there's something wrong or is it just his personality? Amy, 12 Amy 2009-08-26
I am going to pick up two dojo loaches tomorrow and was wondering if regular beach sand will do?? fishlover16 2009-07-14
The bit about them resting on other fish is true. Tesla, the largest and laziest of my loaches, will actually ride my telescope eye goldfish to the surface of the tank when I feed them. Very amusing to watch. AR 2009-07-11
I just got two dojo loaches and I know and our smaller one loves to dig, but she has lost a bit of her nose now due to digging in the gravel I believe, is there anything I can do to help her get better faster? Should I worry about her getting any diseases? crystal 2009-03-29
Some of the coolest comments:
These are one of my favourite fish of all time. They may not be colourful, but with their ugly-cute faces, gentle temperaments, otter-like playful personalities, and their affinity for human contact, they really can grow on you. These fish have become more like pets to me than any of the other fish I have kept, and are reported to be long-lived, from 12-15 years. All of these things are the markers of an ideal pet. Over time, they can become fairly large. I now have 4 Dojo Loaches. Of the four, one is the Gold variety, and the other three are the regular Browns. I have had the original Brown pair for almost two years. My second-largest, Whiskers, is 7 inches long and fairly slender with a distinct lateral line; the upper half being golden with brown spots and the lower being lighter. The tail of Whiskers is spade-shaped. The largest of these, Tickles, is over 8 inches long and probably close to an inch in diameter. I believe this one is female. She is grayish brown with all-over darker spots, and has a rounded tail. I have wondered if these two are slightly different species, though I purchased them at the same time. The final two Loaches are my babies; Jackie and No-Feet. Jackie is the one of gold variety. His body is peach-coloured, and very slender compared to that of No-Feet, who is about the same length at 4", and resembles Tickles most in looks and body type. Jackie is a standout among the bunch. He got this name from Jackie Chan, as he is always moving about the tank and performing curious antics such as draping himself over plants and hanging there in odd positions. Jackie and No-Feet can often be found swimming together throughout all levels of the tank. Tickles and Whiskers used to be more active, but it seems as they have aged, they have become more sedentary, spending their days resting near or under a log. Sometimes I will find all four of my Dojos resting on top of eachother. When I bought the first ones, I knew nothing about them. I was told they could be kept together or alone. I got one, but before even leaving the store, changed my mind and got another on a hunch. I now know these fish are at their best in groups, and each time I introduce a new member, it is immediately accepted and brought into the Loach Clan. The Dojos have been nothing but gentle towards my other fish, and have a special relationship with their nonspecific Loachmates, especially the Kuhli Loaches and the Peppered Loaches (Lepidocephalichthys). Both these other types from time to time will join on the Loach Pile. This is funny and entertaining to watch. I am currently keeping them in a 55 Gallon Community, but am planning to upgrade to a 75 soon so they can have more room. This new tank will take into consideration their requirements for hiding spots, resting spots, and places to explore. In my experience, robust plants are best, as Dojos like to redecorate. Sometimes this is purposeful (that PLANT is in my favourite spot!), and sometimes it is not. Any finer-leaved or stemmed plants are usually knocked around unintentionally. I have found Amazon Swords, larger Cryptocoryne, and Giant Vallisneria are excellent for having extended root systems less likely to be dug up or disturbed. Other good plant choices include ones you can tie down to wood such as Anubias or Java Fern. Ideal tankmates for these fish are larger Barbs and Rainbowfish who, like the Dojo, enjoy cooler temperatures. If you would like something smaller, Danios or Rasboras might fit the bill, but I would stay away from the Giant Danio. I brought a trio of these home once, and though they were not aggressive, their constant racing around the tank was unsettling to my Loaches. They began to burrow and hide until only their eyes were showing. It has been a wonderful experience having these fish, and they are my main concern when designing this new tank. Enjoy your Loaches! Erin 2009-12-29
I've had dojo loaches for several years now. I used to have a pair, but the female died a year or so ago along with several other fish. The male, though, is still going strong. The funniest thing about this pair was their personalities. The female was forever bullying the male. His growth even seemed to be stunted while she was in the tank hen-pecking him. Once she died, though, his growth increased significantly. He'll never be as big as she was, but he filled out quite nicely. Now, though, the chinese algae eater tends to pick on him some. He's just so laid back, that he doesn't really seem to care much. My dojo is in a 26 gal planted community tank with mollies, neon tetras, upside down catfish, and the algae eater. He's probably six to eight inches long (I haven't bothered to try to measure him). With the exception of the algae eater, he gets along wonderfully with his tank mates. He's one of the most interesting fish in the tank that can be seen regularly (since the upside down cats like to hide during the day), and I can't imagine not having him in my tank! He likes to kick back and relax on the heater (which isn't currently on, because winter has not really hit our area yet). He can also be found darting up to the surface to take a gulp of air now and then - especially when the weather is unsettled. Since I'm in Missouri, that's fairly frequently! He's very friendly with me, and he seems to enjoy being "petted". I don't do it frequently, though, because I worry about messing up his slime coat. I don't let the kids do it, because I worry about their dirty hands in my tank! He does burrow down in the gravel, and there has been more than once when I thought he'd died because all I saw sticking up out of the gravel was his tail. After a few minutes, though, he'd wiggle his way out and swim up to the top! It's awesome to watch. I don't panic so much now when I can't find him, because it usually just means he's doing what dojos do. I don't let myself get attached to my fish very often, but I can honestly say that I love this fish. I would be heartbroken if something happened to him. Trish S 2009-11-23
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I read the info on this page and noticed that it said they liked to be touched, so i stuck my hand in the tank. My dojo was scared at first, but warmed up very quickly! He let me pet him quite a bit! I started at the tail and he eventually let me pet all over him! I thought it was a little odd that a fish was that trusting but it was very cool! Thomas Nett 2007-09-04
For sexing the fish, what it says in this profile is true. Also, a male's dorsal fin is noticabely larger than that of a female's. These means the male often tends to keep the fin semi erect. Danny Sinclair 2006-09-14
very informative about the dojo/weather loach, a shame there were no photos/diagrams to help explain things like sexing for the amature. i like the site though les 2006-06-07

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