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Encyclopedia / Loaches / Clown loach
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Clown loach

Chromobotia macracanthus · Clown, Tiger botia

Playful and very social; needs a group and a big tank.

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30 cmAdult size ✓
25–30 °CTemperature ✓
5–7pH ✓
648 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (25–30 °C vs 16–24 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (25–30 °C vs 18–24 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Clown loach is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (25–30 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 25 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 25–26 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

236 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–12 dGH
Group size ✓5 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ✓20+ years
Size in shops 4–6 cm
Growth Slow

Behavior

Playful and very social; needs a group and a big tank.

Food

Sinking pellets, frozen foods, snails.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Adult females are fuller-bodied and larger than males of the same age; a differently shaped or more deeply forked tail in males is often claimed but unproven.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Rarely bred in captivity ·

Not documented as bred by hobbyists without hormones. Farms in Southeast Asia (and later Eastern Europe) breed it with hormone injections; in the wild it migrates to flooded tributaries to spawn at the start of the rainy season.

Pairing

Buy a large group and keep for years. Maturity can take 4+ years.

Setup

Farms use hormone induction. Home spawns are very rare.

What starts it

Hormone injection on farms; seasonal wild cues.

Eggs

Hormone-induced females release thousands of eggs (about 76,000-109,000 eggs per kg of female body weight); eggs hatch in about 18 hours at 26.5 °C.

Raising the fry

Feed live infusoria and baby brine shrimp. Sensitive to ich.

Common mistakes
  • Keeping too few
  • Poor water quality
  • Expecting home spawns
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSumatra and Borneo – Indonesia
Rivers and lakesBatang Hari and Kapuas river basins
HabitatLarge rivers and floodplains
Native rangeAbout 700 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the clown loach

Described by Pieter Bleeker in 1852. It can live over 20 years and grow to around 30 cm, far larger than shop juveniles. It eats snails but should not be relied on to clear an infestation, and it often rests lying on its side or at odd angles, which is normal.

Pieter Bleeker described the clown loach in 1852, and since 2004 it has been the only species in its own genus, Chromobotia. Its orange and black bands made it a favourite for decades. Most fish sold come from Indonesia, where they are wild-caught or bred on farms using hormones; home spawning is very rare.

First described by Pieter Bleeker in 1852.

  • Clown loaches can make clicking sounds.
  • They sometimes lie on their sides, which looks alarming but is normal.
  • They can live for over 20 years.

Sources

17 facts checked with sources