Dojo loaches, also called Pond Loaches or Weather Loaches are one of the best types of fish you can put in your fish tank.
They are very fun to look at as they are super friendly and active most of the time. They also have a unique look that you won’t find in any other fish.
“Do dojo loaches like to eat shrimp?” or “Do snails can be a food for dojo loaches?” are questions often asked by dojo loaches fish lovers and enthusiasts. In this article, we will answer your questions in detail and tell you everything you need to know about putting shrimp or snails with your Dojo loaches.
What Are Dojo Loaches?
In order to know the eating habits of dojo loaches, you need to know some general information about them.
Dojo loaches, scientifically named as misgurnus anguillicaudatus, are found in ponds, rivers, lakes, rice paddies of Japan, Korea, China, etc.
Now, they are being pond raised for aquarium trade because of their increasing market demand.
Aquarium owners love these fish as they are very easy to manage and feed. They are also very active and joyful to look at. They can be found in different colors and sizes to add life to your tank and fill it with energy.
These bottom-dwelling scavengers can eat a lot of smaller living things that are smaller in size than them. In fact, they are sold as a solution to clear up aquariums from small living creatures as well as cleaning the bottom of your tank from any unwanted garbage.
Hence, this brings up the question of whether they can live with smaller creatures such as shrimps or snails in the same tank. Are they dangerous for your shrimp or snails? will they be eaten?
Follow on to know the answers to your questions.
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Let’s start off with shrimp. So, can you put shrimp with your dojo loaches in one tank?
Dojo loaches love eating shrimp, so unless you want to feed the shrimp to your dojo loaches, then it is probably not a good idea to put both of them together.
Basically, most fish that have big enough mouths to eat shrimp will not hesitate to do so. So, if you want to keep shrimp in your tank, it is ideal to put them with smaller fish. For instance, you can put them with small Rasboras, Tetras, or similar fish.
You might think that there are hiding spots for the shrimp to hide in and avoid getting eaten. But in fact, dojo loaches are designed to search the smallest of those hiding spots and still eat your shrimps either way.
These are the most type of shrimp that can be food for your dojo loaches:
- Cherry Shrimps
- Ghost Shrimp
- Crystal Black Shrimp/Crystal Red Shrimp
- Amano Shrimp
- Panda Shrimp
- Snowball Shrimp
- Bumblebee Shrimp
- Cardinal shrimp
All of the mentioned types and other similar small types will all be very defenseless when confronted by a larger dojo loach. So, never put them together in the same tank, or else they will definitely get eaten.
However, some people have stated that they added bamboo shrimp and long arm shrimp with their dojo loaches and they have been living well together. But it is definitely not worth the risk. If your dojo loach is larger than the shrimp then it will certainly eat it.
Are There Any Shrimp-Safe Loaches?
Yes, there are shrimp-safe loaches. Hillstream loaches can be shrimp safe since they feed on a different type of food.
Their major diet is algae and the microscopic life living in them. This type of loaches is mainly river tank, cool water fish. They live in planted tanks to feed on the algae.
However, if they did not find their algae and their main diet they might end up feeding on your shrimp. So, it is definitely still not worth the risk.
Do Dojo Loaches Eat Snails?
Same as shrimp, dojo loaches love eating snails. So, if you have a snail problem in your aquarium that you need to get rid of, dojo loaches can be your best solution.
They will clear up the snails sooner than you can possibly think. They will not clear all the snails overnight, but you will see a significant reduction in their number through time until they are all cleared up.
They are very good at sneaking into any small hiding spot and eating the snails. But you will need to provide them with a balanced diet besides the snails to live healthily and stay active. Snails alone are simply not enough for them.
The balanced diet for Dojo Loaches will need to consist of:
- Algae wafers
- Pellets
- Flake
- Live foods
Giving them these foods will provide them with all the nutrients and vitamins that they need to thrive and fill your aquarium with life and energy. They are active fish by nature!
On the other hand, if you are a snail lover that wants to keep some snails in their fish tank, then it is a bad idea to keep them with dojo loaches.
Dojo loaches are commercially sold as a solution to the snail problem in the aquariums. So, your snails will be eaten in a matter of time. They will simply suck any snail they find right out of its shell.
However, if your dojo loach is small in size, it will only feed on smaller snails and leave the bigger ones until they get bigger enough to eat them.
Final Words
In conclusion, dojo loaches are bottom dwellers that will feed on any small living thing they find at the bottom of your tank. Unlike other regular fish, they will not come to the top of the tank to feed, but they will stay at the bottom.
It is a totally bad idea to put your dojo loaches with shrimp or snails as they are a very easy meal for the loaches. These defenseless creatures will get eaten in a matter of time.
So, unless you don’t want your dojo loaches to eat the shrimp and snails, keep them apart.
Hi, my name is Sean, and I’m the primary writer on the site. I’m blogging mostly about freshwater and saltwater aquariums, fish, invertebrates, and plants. I’m experienced in the fishkeeping hobby for many years. Over the years I have kept many tanks, and have recently begun getting more serious in wanting to become a professional aquarist. All my knowledge comes from experience and reading forums and a lot of informative sites. In pursuit of becoming a professional, I also want to inspire as many people as I can to pick up this hobby and keep the public interest growing.
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