| Scientific Name: Botia macracanthus | | | | under rocks or aquarium equipment. Odds are |
| Other Scientific Name(s): Cobitis macracanthus, | | | | they are not stuck - they just like it that way. |
| Botia macrocanthus | | | | Hiding places can be created with rocks, roots, |
| Common Name: Clown Loach | | | | PVC pipes, flower pots, coconuts and different |
| Clown loaches are very popular aquarium fish; | | | | kinds of aquarium decorations. Sharp objects |
| however they are not always easy to keep | | | | should not be used to decorate aquariums for |
| successfully since they easily succumb to ick and | | | | clown loaches. You can not create too many |
| are sensitive to poor water conditions. This article | | | | hiding places and you should create several for |
| is intended to help new clown loach owners | | | | each loach. |
| provide a good home for their loaches. Clown | | | | Clown loaches are sensitive to poor water quality, |
| loaches are found in Indonesia (Sumatra and | | | | and they require good filtration. Higher water |
| Borneo), and almost all clown loaches in aquariums | | | | circulation is also appreciated since clown loaches |
| are wild caught and distributed around the world | | | | live in currents in the wild. |
| before being sold. This can put considerable stress | | | | Clown loaches are excellent jumpers, and you |
| on the fish, and a vital step in getting a healthy | | | | should make sure that your tank is properly |
| clown loach school in your aquarium is choosing | | | | sealed. |
| healthy fish. But how to make sure that you get | | | | Health |
| healthy fish? | | | | As I said earlier, clown loaches are very sensitive |
| - Check the general conditions in the fish store. | | | | towards poor water quality and are usually the |
| Are there dead fish in the aquariums? Is the | | | | first fish that get ill or die if the water quality |
| water clean? If some tanks are mistreated there | | | | drops. Water changes of at least 25% a week |
| is a good chance that there might be | | | | are recommended. Because of their low tolerance |
| unfavourable conditions in others too. Only buy | | | | to poor water qualities they are sometimes called |
| fish from stores that take good care of their | | | | indicator fish, since their health indicates the status |
| aquariums. | | | | of the aquarium. Clown loaches are very sensitive |
| - How do the clown loaches look? Clown loaches | | | | to chlorine, and even small amounts can cause a |
| can give you an indication of their condition based | | | | mass death of loaches. |
| on their coloration. A healthy clown loach shows | | | | This species are very prone towards getting ick if |
| clear distinct colours, while a stressed one loses its | | | | the water quality isn't good enough, and are |
| colours and becomes whiter. Only buy loaches | | | | sensitive to most ick medicines and salts. So keep |
| that show their correct colours. | | | | an eye on your clown loaches and only use half |
| - Are the clown loaches well fed? Those that | | | | the recommended doses of medicine, otherwise |
| haven't been fed correctly are hard to nurse back | | | | you risk the medicine killing the loaches. |
| to health, and it is more than likely you will end up | | | | Food |
| with a dead fish if you buy one. Look at their | | | | Clown loaches are carnivores and only eat |
| bodies and see if they look well fed, and ask the | | | | vegetables to complement their diet. It is |
| shopkeepers how often and what the loaches are | | | | therefore recommended that they are given food |
| fed. | | | | that reflects this. To get your clown loaches to |
| - Are the clown loaches active? Healthy clown | | | | grow, optimal feeding 3-5 times a day is |
| loaches are very active and full of energy. A | | | | recommended. (They still grow slowly). Their diet |
| healthy clown loach should be hard to catch. | | | | should contain a variety of foods, and can include |
| - Do the clown loaches have hiding places? Hiding | | | | almost any carnivorous food. A good base may |
| places are very important to relieve stress in | | | | be shrimps, different sinking wafers, different |
| clown loaches, and you are likely to get higher | | | | frozen foods, and as they grow older, fish slices. |
| quality fish from aquariums with hiding places. | | | | Clown loaches can make a clicking sound, and |
| - Don't buy clown loaches smaller than 2 inches/5 | | | | they will do this when they are content. |
| cm if you haven't kept clown loaches before, | | | | Therefore you will soon find out what is your |
| since they are much more sensitive when they | | | | loaches' favourite food by them clicking when |
| are younger. | | | | they receive it. Like most other fish, clown |
| So ideally you should look for the most coloured, | | | | loaches might need some time to accept new |
| most active clown loaches you can find, and buy | | | | foods, however once they do it might become a |
| these to have the best starting point possible. You | | | | favourite. Clown loaches are one of the few |
| should also consider the water conditions in the | | | | fishes that eat and like snails, and can therefore |
| store and try to find one that keeps their clown | | | | be of good use in snail control. |
| loaches in water condition similar to the water | | | | Breeding |
| conditions in your aquarium, to reduce stress on | | | | Clown loaches have been bred in aquariums, |
| the clown loaches. It should also be stated that | | | | however it is very rare. Sexing clown loaches |
| clown loaches like resting on their sides, looking | | | | externally is hard, but possible by looking at the |
| almost as if they were dead. However this is | | | | tail fin. The tail fin tips on the male are slightly |
| completely normal and should not be seen as a | | | | bent inwards, making the fin look a little bit like a |
| sign of poor quality in the fish but rather the | | | | claw. The tail fin tips on the females aren't shaped |
| opposite. When you have decided where to buy | | | | like this. |
| your clown loaches you should buy at least 3 | | | | Clown loaches have to be quite old and at least 7 |
| (preferable 8-10). Clown loaches are schooling fish | | | | inches / 17 cm before they are sexually mature. |
| that should never be kept alone!!! | | | | In the one good account of clown loaches |
| Once you get home with your new clown loaches | | | | spawning they spawned under the following |
| you should let the bag float on the water surface | | | | conditions: |
| for 10-15 minutes, and then slowly every 10 | | | | - Temp: 84F |
| minutes add a little water from the aquarium (a | | | | - pH: 6.5 |
| coffee cup). Repeat this 4-5 times before you | | | | - Ammonia & Nitrite: 0 |
| release the fish into their new home. | | | | - Nitrate: < 25 |
| Tank setup | | | | Four large clown loaches (over 25 cm /10 inches) |
| Clown loaches can be kept in aquariums of 100 L | | | | were kept together in a planted aquarium, and a |
| 20 G or more. Keep in mind that even though | | | | few weeks before spawning they changed their |
| clown loaches grow very slowly they will get big | | | | behaviour and started eating live fish as their only |
| eventually and need an aquarium of at least 540 L | | | | accepted food. The females in the group grew |
| 125 G, and that should be considered a minimum. | | | | very fast on this diet, and had doubled in girth by |
| Decorate your aquarium using a bottom substrate | | | | the time of spawning. The night during which the |
| of sand or fine gravel that allows the clown | | | | spawning took place, two clowns were swimming |
| loaches to dig . I recommend keeping your clown | | | | close beneath the surface entwined in each other |
| loaches in a planted aquarium, however the choice | | | | and "clicking." The next morning, 450 eggs were |
| of plants differs greatly depending on whether | | | | found spread about the aquarium. Clown loaches |
| you keep juvenile or adult clown loaches. Juvenile | | | | eat their own eggs, so it is recommended moving |
| clown loaches can be kept with most plant | | | | the parents if you wish to succeed in spawning |
| species, while adults can be kept only with hardy | | | | them. |
| plants such as Java fern and Anubias. All other | | | | The fry were fed liquid fry food for the first two |
| plants will be destroyed and/or eaten by the adult | | | | weeks, after which they accepted crushed flakes. |
| clown loaches. I also recommend using floating | | | | They grew relatively fast, to 2.5 cm/ 1 inch in 6 |
| plants to dim the lighting, which makes the loaches | | | | weeks. After that the growth rate slowed down. |
| more active during the day. | | | | It's suggested that older fish are essential for |
| Clown loaches want a setup with a lot of caves | | | | breeding since this fish might have to be quite old |
| and other hiding places, preferably so narrow that | | | | to be sexually mature. Clown loaches live to be |
| they can just barely squeeze themselves into | | | | about 50 years, so it is quite feasible that they |
| them. Don't be concerned if your clown loaches | | | | may spawn later in life than many other species. |
| have squeezed themselves into caves they dug | | | | |