Clown Loach

Scientific Name: Botia macracanthus Other Names: Clown Loach - Tiger Botia Origin: Indonesia, Sumatra, Borneo Adult Size: 6 inches in captivity Social: Peaceful schooling fish Lifespan: 15 years Tank Level: Mid, Bottom dweller Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallon Diet: Live foods preferable, will eat flakes and frozen foods Breeding: Egglayer Care: Intermediate pH: 7.2 - 7.5 Hardenss: Soft Temperature: 77-86 F (25-30 C)

The Clown Loach common name comes from the fish's bright colours resembling a clown's makeup, and the fish's ability to entertain observers with its comical behaviour when kept in an aquarium. Sometimes they lie on their sides on the bottom of the tank or swim upside down and appear to be dead. They also are fond of making clicking noises when excited or eating. This is a common event and the aquarist should be aware of this fact or unnecessary removal may occur.

It is a popular fish in the freshwater aquarium trade and is sold worldwide

Another important thing to remember is that since they do come from a fast moving river environment, they need a tank with lots of clear, well filtered and fast moving water which can be achieved with proper filtration and the use of power heads

If you have noticed that your clown loaches do not come out of hiding, there are some easy things to adjust so that your clown loaches will be more comfortable. Make sure that other fish in your community tank are docile and not prone to hide. Because clown loaches come from rivers and streams, they are accustomed to having other fishes and plants in their environment. Before introducing clown loaches to your tank, make sure the fish you currently have are compatible because aggressive fish will stress your clown loaches and may need to be removed.

In its native habitat, the fish is found in water with a temperature range of 77 to 86 °F (25 to 30 °C) A harmless, very active, social fish, they are best kept in groups of 3 or more and due to their potential size a 50 gallon aquarium should be the minimum size used In a community tank always make sure that enough food gets to the bottom where these fish usually feed. Most clown loaches accept commercial flake food as their dietary staple, but thrive with a variety of food: live (worms, brine shrimp, and small snails), plant matter, freeze-dried (tubifex worms, especially if it is fortified) and frozen brine shrimp (always thaw frozen food to aquarium temperature).

It will occasionally snack on flake food that is floating around and it will also eat snails that are small enough to fit in its mouth. You should also provide a variety of foods for your loaches. In the wild, its diet primarily consists of the food it is able to find on the substrate, including snails, crustaceans, worms, freshwater shrimp, vegetable matter, and aquatic insect larvae. Clown loaches are also regarded as a natural way of controlling an infestation of small snails in the aquarium.

Although clown loaches have been bred in captivity, both naturally and by hormonal stimulation, spawning in the aquarium is rare. This is probably more attributable to the fact there are very few groups of mature, full-size loaches being kept – many appear as solitary specimens in community tanks, and never reach their full breeding size.

Naturally the loaches breed in the high, fast flowing reaches of rivers at the onset of the rains. On hatching the young descend the rivers to the calmer lower reaches, where they are collected for the aquarium trade. Juveniles caught at this time at about one and a half centimetres are easy for the collectors to grow on to raise a higher profit – with good feeding they can double in size in a week. Spawning has been achieved in the aquarium. One description involved a group of four foot-long fish.

After feeding the fish then paired, rising entwined to the surface making clicking sounds. Although no spawning occurred then, in the morning the tank sides, base and décor was scattered with small, golden eggs, which the parents were not averse to devouring. Around 450 fry resulted from this spawning, which were raised on a liquid fry food followed by crushed flake.

For information on tropical fish Click Clown Loach