TankBud

Clown loach

Chromobotia macracanthus

FreshwaterFish

Clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus)
Vlad Butsky from San Jose, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–86°F
24–30°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
11.8 in
30 cm
Minimum tank
75 gal
285 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Botiidae
Origin
Sumatra, Borneo

Overview

The clown loach is a large, long-lived schooling loach that roots through sand and caves on the bottom of a big tank. It suits an intermediate keeper with space to spare.

Did you know

Clown loaches make audible clicking sounds by grinding their pharyngeal teeth. Keepers often hear them at feeding time or when the fish jostle for a favorite hiding spot. The clicks are thought to signal excitement and to help sort out the group's pecking order.

Caring for the clown loach

Keep clown loaches in a group of at least five or six, since they are far bolder and healthier in a bigger crowd. They grow large, so plan for a tank of at least 75 gal (285 L), and grow the group into something bigger over time.

Give them a soft sand bed with plenty of driftwood and rounded rock forming caves and tunnels. Dim, shaded areas encourage the group to forage confidently.

Keep the water at 75 to 86°F (24 to 30°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, gentle to moderate flow and strong oxygenation. Stable, clean water keeps these sensitive fish free of ich.

Feed a wide diet of sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms, blanched vegetables and the occasional snail. Clown loaches are one of the more effective natural controls for pest snails.

They are mostly peaceful and do well with medium-sized, calm community fish, though their adult size rules out tiny tank mates. In the wild they spawn on migrations, and breeding in home tanks is essentially unknown. Commercial fish are farmed, often with hormone induction.

Good to know

The clown loach is the only species in the genus Chromobotia, which Maurice Kottelat separated from Botia in 2004. It is one of the giants of the family Botiidae, and it can live well past twenty years. Its species name, macracanthus, means large spine, after the sharp, erectile blade below each eye.

In the wild

Chromobotia macracanthus lives on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. It moves between large river channels and, in the breeding season, flooded forest tributaries. The water there is warm and slightly acidic to neutral.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The clown loach is a mostly peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a clown loach need?

A clown loach needs at least 75 gal (285 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a clown loach need?

A clown loach is comfortable at 75–86°F (24–30°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a clown loach eat?

A clown loach eats a wide diet of sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms and blanched vegetables. It takes the occasional snail as well.

How big does a clown loach get?

An adult clown loach reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

Does a clown loach need a group?

Yes. A clown loach is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a clown loach breed?

Clown loaches spawn on migrations in the wild, and breeding them in a home tank is essentially unknown. The fish in shops are farmed, often with hormone induction.

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