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Everything You Need To Know About Dojo Loach Poop!

Although the dojo loach is still a relative niche option for most aquarium setups, its popularity is starting to increase due to its unique colors and behaviors of the dojo loach.

Due to this, we have noticed a number of people reaching out to ask a number of different questions about caring for a dojo loach recently due to there being such a lack of information out there right now.

Out of all of the questions that we see people asking, there are a number of questions that are all related to dojo loach poop that we see people asking month in and month out.

Due to this, we have decided to publish this article going over all of the questions that we have noticed people asking that are relating to dojo loach poop to try and help as many of our readers as possible get a better idea of what is actually considered normal for the species.

Is It Normal For A Dojo Loach To Rock Back And Forth When Pooping?

It is totally normal for a dojo loach to rock back and forth when they are pooping, in fact, this is often seen as a good sign that your dojo loach is healthy and happy as it shows they are comfortable enough to poop out in the open.

Dojo loaches generally tend to eat a lot of food and as a result, they produce a lot of poop.

While the poop itself is not generally harmful to other fish in the aquarium, the act of pooping can sometimes be problematic for other fish in the tank if they happen to swim into the stream of poop that the dojo loach is producing.

When your dojo loach poops, you will usually see it stiffen up and almost act like a cucumber rocking back and forth in the water before it releases its poop.

This behavior can usually last anywhere from ten seconds all the way up to sixty seconds.

Although this may sound like a wide time range, you have to realize that a dojo loach eats a wide range of different food types so depending on what it has eaten, it may take longer to get the poop out.

“Golden Dojo Loach” by Rhizae is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Is It Normal For A Dojo Loach to Poop A “Cloud”?

The dojo loach poop cloud is totally normal and is not an indication that there is anything wrong with the dojo loach.

This often catches people out as the majority of commonly kept fish within the fish keeping hobby will have solid poop and a liquid cloud of poop is an indication of a potential problem with the fish.

With the dojo loach, however, this is not the case and a liquid cloud of poop is totally fine and nothing to be concerned about.

The main reason for this difference in opinion on what is normal is due to the fact that the dojo loach has a unique digestive system when compared to other fish.

The dojo loach’s intestines are actually coiled which means that when they poop, the poop has to travel a lot further before it is finally released from the fish.

As a result of this, the poop has more time to break down and turn into a liquid state by the time it is finally released.

This is totally fine and nothing to be concerned about so if you see your dojo loach releasing a cloud of poop, don’t stress!

How Come I Never See My Dojo Loach Poop?

As we mentioned above, your dojo loach will probably be having a liquid cloud poop that will quickly dissipate into the water of your aquarium.

Unless you are there watching your tank as your dojo loach poops, it can be very difficult to see any signs that your dojo loach has even pooped.

This can make some people who keep a dojo loach in their tanks worry that their may be a problem with their fish such as a blockage, constipation or internal parasites.

Although your dojo loach can have issues with these just like any other fish, you will usually see the early signs of bloating if your dojo loach is having problems with a blockage, constipation or internal parasites.

What Color Should Dojo Loach Poop Be?

Depending on what your dojo loach has recently eaten, its poop can range from a green to a yellow to a brown color with all being normal.

Sometimes, the poop of a dojo loach may look red or pink and this is usually a sign that there are problems with internal parasites that need to be treat as soon as possible.

On the flip side of that though, if you have been adding bloodworms to your tank then this red or pink tint to the poop of your dojo loach may just be the husks of the bloodworms being pooped out that your dojo loach hasn’t been able to digest giving the poop a red look.

How Often Should A Dojo Loach Poop?

The frequency in which a dojo loach will poop is totally dependent on a number of different factors with the main two being; the size of the dojo loach and how much it has been eating.

As a very general guide, you can expect your dojo loach to poop around 1-3 times per day but as we mentioned earlier in the article, it is usually rare that you will see any signs of your dojo loach pooping.

This number will fluctuate depending on the two main factors that we mentioned above with a larger dojo loach that has been eating a lot requiring more frequent trips to the toilet!

Is It Normal For Dojo Loach To Be Gassy?

Most dojo loaches will be gassy and pass wind on a regular basis with this being totally normal and nothing to be concerned about.

The main reason for this is due to the fact that the dojo loach has a very long digestive tract which can cause pockets of gas to form.

These pockets of gas will eventually work their way out of the fish and will be released as your dojo loach breaks wind.

So, if you hear some bubbling coming from your aquarium then it is probably just your dojo loach passing some gas!