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