Clown loach care
Chromobotia macracanthus · Rivers of Borneo and Sumatra
Clown loaches are sold at 2 inches but grow to about a foot over several years and live for decades, in groups of five or more.
- Tank size
- 125 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 77 to 86 °F (25 to 30 °C)
- Group size
- 5 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 12 in (usually 6 to 8 in in aquariums, larger in the wild)
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 15 to 30 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 125 gallon
72½ × 18½ × 23⅛ in outsideHow to keep clown loaches
Clown loaches are sold at 2 inches but grow to about a foot over several years and live for decades, in groups of five or more. That makes them a 125 gallon fish as adults. They eat pest snails and are peaceful with other fish.
Diet: Omnivore: sinking pellets, frozen foods, snails. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Clown loach tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Kissing gourami
12 in · 75+ gal · 72–82 °F
Bala shark
14 in · 125+ gal · 72–82 °F
Uaru
9.8 in · 75+ gal · 79–86 °F
Discus
8 in · 55+ gal · 82–88 °F
Blood parrot cichlid
8 in · 55+ gal · 76–80 °F
Severum
8 in · 55+ gal · 75–84 °F
Angelfish
6 in · 29+ gal · 76–84 °F
Three-spot (blue) gourami
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: clown loaches need 77 to 86 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Oscar: Oscars are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as clown loaches.
Reticulated hillstream loach: No shared temperature: clown loaches need 77 to 86 °F, reticulated hillstream loaches 68 to 75 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: No shared temperature: clown loaches need 77 to 86 °F, fancy goldfish 64 to 74 °F.
Mystery snail: Clown loaches eat snails.
What a clown loach tank needs
A tank of 125 US gallons or more (such as the 125 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon QuietFlow Canister Filter 400
Rated by the maker for 100–150 US gal, which covers a 125 gallon clown loach tank without being built for a far bigger one.
EHEIM professionel 4+ 600 (2275)
Rated by the maker for 63–158 US gal, which covers a 125 gallon clown loach tank without being built for a far bigger one.
EHEIM thermocontrol 250
Clown loaches need 77 to 86 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature. Aqueon’s chart gives two 200 W heaters for a 125 gallon tank, and a second heater is worth having here: if one fails, the other keeps the water from going cold. Two Aqueon Pro 200 heaters, each rated by Aqueon for up to 75 gallons, make that pair. Heating a big tank.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding clown loaches.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 77 to 86 °F.
We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common clown loach problems
- Ich (white spots) hits clown loaches early and hard; quarantine new fish and keep the temperature steady.
- Kept alone or in pairs they hide and stress.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Chromobotia macracanthus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Clown loach Vlad Butsky, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kissing gourami 5snake5, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bala shark H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Uaru Brent Tibbats, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Blood parrot cichlid Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Severum Trisha M Shears, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Oscar H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Mystery snail Gabriel Resende Veiga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kuhli loach Iidkk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf chain loach Stefan Maurer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Siamese algae eater aleander2137, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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