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Clown LoachTiger LoachFamily: Cobitidae Chromobotia macracanthusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Marisa MonacoLatest Reader Comment - See More i bought 2 clown loaches yesterday 1 of them is active n keeps swimming but the other one just stays at 1 place it only moves when I bang my palm on the glass of... (more) fishy A very popular fish, the Clown Loach is one of the most beautifully colored and patterned of all the freshwater fish!Clown Loach Contents With a bright orangish to reddish body, three broad jet black vertical bars with one passing through the eye, and a bright to deep red coloring on the front fins and tail, the Clown Loach is an extremely striking fish. They are most colorful when they are young however, and tend to become a bit less brilliant as a larger fish. The word macracanthus stands for 'big spine and as this name suggests they have a pre orbital spine that is quite large, making an effective defensive weapon. They have four barbels and have been known to make audible clicking sounds. For the most part they are a shy bottom dweller, but unlike many loaches the Clown Loach is active during the day. Once they are secure in their environment they can even become quite tame. They like the company of their own species and can also be kept with other fish. They are fairly easy to keep, but are prone to ich. For more Information on keeping this fish see: |
Care and feeding: Since they are omnivorous, the Clown Loach or Tiger Loach will generally eat all kinds of live foods, flakes, and algae. They like tablets and frozen foods as well. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) as a treat. They also like mosquito larvae, tubifex, daphnia, and vegetable foods such as algae wafers.
This fish prefers a fairly large aquarium (30 gallons or so) with plants and places for retreat such as rocks, caves, and roots. Also use subdued lighting. They do best in soft, slightly acidic water with frequent water changes of about 10% a week. Because they are burrowers, the substrate needs to be a fine gravel or sand that does not have sharp edges. Be sure to provide hardy plants with the roots protected and have decorations firmly placed on the glass bottom so they don't fall over. Plastic tubes also make safe and excellent hiding places.
Distribution: The Clown Loach or Tiger Loach are found in Southeast Asia; from Borneo, Sumatra, and Indonesia. They are found in either running or standing waters in their natural habitat.
Size - Weight: These fish get up to 12 inches (30 cm) in the wild though they haven't been known to reach that length in the home aquarium. Captive species are seldom longer than 6.5" (16 cm), with about 8" (20 cm) being the maximum.
Social Behaviors: A good community fish, they will tolerate other tank mates as well as enjoy other members of their own species. Lively and fun to watch.
Sexual Differences: Males are thinner.
Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom: These fish are mostly bottom dwellers, but will occasionally swim in the middle of the aquarium.
Acceptable Water Conditions: Hardness: to 5° dH
Ph: 6.0-6.5
Temp: 77-86° F (25-30° C)
Breeding/Reproduction: The Clown Loach or Tiger Loach has rarely been bred in the home aquarium. There are only a couple of reports of success, with the most recent being in the fall of 2007 by Colin Dunlop from Carluke, Scotland. In an article from the publication Practical Fishkeeping, there are photographs of the spawn but he said that most of the eggs were infertile, and no fry have yet been reported. It is thought that they need a large aquarium with lots of hiding places, along with their being satisfied with their aquarium conditions.
They have been spawned commercially with the aid of hormones on fish farm in the Czech Republic, and farmed fish are available from both there and from Asia.
Availability: The Clown Loach or Tiger Loach is readily available and is very popular.
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