Dojo Loach white area on her nose

Question
I have a 9-year-old Dojo Loach who about 4 months ago appeared to with a white area on her nose. It's not tiny like an ich spot.  I took a photo and showed to a local aquarist and they thought it may be a bruise from bumping her nose on something in the tank.  But it hasn't gone away, and now when I look at her in profile the area is a tiny bit concave.  She is otherwise very lively and eats well, and the other fish in the tank - two Zebra Danios, two White Cloud Minnows, and a smaller younger loach, don't appear to have anything like it.  Could it be age?  Anyway, I'd appreciate your opinion.

Answer
Hi Andrea

Being that its a Dojo Loach, you have nothing to worry about. If it's a spot on the nose and everything else appears fine, she just bumped into something and maybe constantly running into something in the tank. Running into tank decor and hitting the top of the aquarium is especially true if there has been a drastic change in the weather. I've never seen anything like it. Every time it thunderstorms, I have to put a soft mesh cover between the water and the hood because I thought they were going to kill themselves or knock themselves unconscious. When I first decided to begin keeping these fish, I researched them online. Many of the articles I read said they behave this way when there is a sudden drop in barometric pressure. Well, I'm not a weatherman, but the barometric pressure must drop every time it rains because that's when my Dojo's act like they've been shot!

Dojo's are also known for their abilities to get out of a tank, could be she bumped her nose on the top of the aquarium or an opening near the filter. They also don't see very well. It could be age, but I'm more certain that she is running into something. Try to keep an eye out to see if you notice anything she is running into. Otherwise, if all else appears fine, I wouldn't worry about her.

Hope this helps you, good luck!

Richard