Clown Loach
Chromobotia macracanthus
Botiidae
About
The clown loach is a large, boldly banded orange-and-black botiid from the rivers and flooded forests of Borneo and Sumatra. Sold tiny, it is a slow-growing giant that can exceed 20-30 cm and live well beyond twenty years, so it is a serious long-term commitment. Intensely social, it forms squabbling hierarchies and only shows its playful, clicking, side-lying personality when kept in a proper group in a spacious tank.
Care
Keep a group of five or more (ten-plus is far better) in a long, spacious tank with soft sand, driftwood caves, warm well-oxygenated water and a tight lid. A shoal of these decades-living, 30 cm giants needs a large footprint of at least 180x60 cm (roughly 530 litres), and their semi-embedded scales make them prone to ich.
Diet
Protein-leaning omnivore; offer sinking pellets and wafers, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, and blanched vegetables. A keen snail-eater that may also hunt dwarf shrimp.
Tankmate compatibility
Avoid (121)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.