Caves for weather loaches - your experience

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MultipleTankSyndrome

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Sep 25, 2021
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Hey everyone, new member here. This is my first submission.

As you can see in my profile, I plan on getting weather loaches for one of my tanks. I'd like to know the experience of weather loach owners regarding how much they use caves and the recommended cave size so that mine can feel as much at home as possible.
Thanks.
 
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MultipleTankSyndrome said:
Hey everyone, new member here. This is my first submission.

As you can see in my profile, I plan on getting weather loaches for one of my tanks. I'd like to know the experience of weather loach owners regarding how much they use caves and the recommended cave size so that mine can feel as much at home as possible.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Welcome aboard
Do you plan on having substrate in the aquarium because the Weather Loach probably will burrow in the substrate.
 
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tlindsey said:
Welcome aboard
Do you plan on having substrate in the aquarium because the Weather Loach probably will burrow in the substrate.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I plan on having no substrate in order to minimise unseen waste and ensure ease of vacuuming up visible waste.
Would this adversely affect weather loaches?
 
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Weather leaches love to burrow, often resting compketely buried with just their face and whiskers exposed. For that reason alone I personally wouldn't keep them in a bare-bottom tank...but I'm sure they would do fine as long as they are given other shelter. They will drape themselves in thick growths of live plants, as well as hiding under and inside driftwood. I have also used lengths of 1" PVC, ABS or other pipe with them.

But, really, depriving them of sand or fine gravel prevents them from displaying some of their most interesting behaviour. Just doesn't seem right IMHO.
 
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Could a 'personal-sized' trough of substrate for the weather loaches to dig in, set aside from the bare-bottomed remainder, do the trick?
The way I see it, with that, the vast majority of the tank can still be kept clean. But there is somewhere for the weather loaches to bury themselves and such if they so wish.

Of course, if that ends up collecting too much dirt, it will have to go. The other species of loach that will go with the weather loaches are far less tolerant of bad water than they would be.
 
jjohnwm said:
Weather leaches love to burrow, often resting compketely buried with just their face and whiskers exposed. For that reason alone I personally wouldn't keep them in a bare-bottom tank...but I'm sure they would do fine as long as they are given other shelter. They will drape themselves in thick growths of live plants, as well as hiding under and inside driftwood. I have also used lengths of 1" PVC, ABS or other pipe with them.

But, really, depriving them of sand or fine gravel prevents them from displaying some of their most interesting behaviour. Just doesn't seem right IMHO.
Click to expand...

As late a reply as this may be, I'll be having them on sand after all! Will be sure to share some photos of the burrowing you describe.
 
Possibly not relevant but as you asked for dojo experiences, I was keeping and breeding them when I lived overseas in 6 200L plastic barrels. Half filled with soft dense mud and a quarter filled with leaf litter. Wouldn't ever see them, thrive in anoxic conditions, just feed occasionally and harvest lots of fish.

Very tough hardy fish with lots of personality. Taste good as well.
 
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That's very interesting, thank you for sharing it. To be perfectly honest, given both your experience and what others have reported, I'm getting more curious by the hour about what my future weather loaches will do with a dig-able substrate.

PS: I think you should share what you did with Loaches Online. Over-the-top purists notwithstanding, they'd love to hear it.

Weather Report - Keeping Misgurnus anguillicaudatus — Loaches Online

An article on keeping Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, the Weather Loach. Credit: Emma Turner
www.loaches.com www.loaches.com

And finally, do remember that loaches are notoriously difficult to breed. Many alleged spawnings have never been backed up with proof. If you do have any degree of success with yours, please take photographs and as many notes as possible, as this will be invaluable to other loach enthusiasts.
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