Yoyo loach care
Botia almorhae · Northern India, Nepal and Pakistan
Yoyo loaches are silver with dark marks that spell 'yoyo' on young fish.
- Tank size
- 40 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 82 °F (24 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- 5 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 6 in (usually 4 to 5 in in aquariums)
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 10 to 15 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 40 gallon breeder
36 3/16 × 18¼ × 16 15/16 in outsideHow to keep yoyo loaches
Yoyo loaches are silver with dark marks that spell 'yoyo' on young fish. A group of five or more in a 40 gallon or larger tank with caves keeps their squabbling spread out, and they keep pest snails down.
Diet: Omnivore: sinking pellets, frozen foods, snails. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Yoyo 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.
Angelfish
6 in · 29+ gal · 76–84 °F
Giant danio
6 in · 55+ gal · 72–79 °F
Three-spot (blue) gourami
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Electric blue acara
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–82 °F
Scissortail rasbora
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–79 °F
Rainbow cichlid
6 in · 30+ gal · 72–84 °F
Blue acara
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–82 °F
Red rainbowfish
5.9 in · 55+ gal · 72–79 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: yoyo loaches need 75 to 82 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Oscar: Oscars are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as yoyo loaches.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: No shared temperature: yoyo loaches need 75 to 82 °F, fancy goldfish 64 to 74 °F.
Mystery snail: Yoyo loaches eat snails.
Zebra nerite snail: Yoyo loaches eat snails.
What a yoyo loach tank needs
A tank of 40 US gallons or more (such as the 40 gallon breeder) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Fluval U3
Rated by the maker for up to 40 US gal, which covers a 40 gallon yoyo loach tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Hang-on-back Canister Filter 7W
Rated by the maker for 20–40 US gal, which covers a 40 gallon yoyo loach tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 200W
Yoyo loaches need 75 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding yoyo 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 75 to 82 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 40 gallon tank · Heaters for a 40 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common yoyo loach problems
- Kept singly they turn shy or pushy.
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: Botia almorhae. 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.
- Yoyo loach Orishas92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Giant danio Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Electric blue acara 5snake5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Scissortail rasbora Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rainbow cichlid Happy Birthday To You!, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Blue acara Loïc Tremblay, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red rainbowfish Hectonichus, 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
- 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
- Zebra nerite snail TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kuhli loach Iidkk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Clown loach Vlad Butsky, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf chain loach Stefan Maurer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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