Clown Loach Small 2-3″
More recently, perhaps due to their popularity and intensive breeding for the aquarium trade, clown loaches do appear to be less hardier than other loaches and more susceptible to parasitic diseases such as Ich, or “white spot”. Clown loach appear to be very sensitive to stress, and may develop these diseases as a result due to reduced immunity. Don’t panic however, white spot nowadays is very simple to treat, but care must be taken with the dose of whitepost treatment as Clown loaches are soft-skinned and often only require a half-dose. You may notice that larger older specimens have scarring as a result of such treatment while juvenile.
No, clown loaches do not commonly eat algae and should not be considered for the purpose of algae control in an aquarium.
Do Clown Loach eat snails?
Yes, clown loaches will often use their barbels to search for small snails and food. They do not eat snails on a huge scale however, and will commonly leave larger snails and shrimp alone. They are rather fond of fish eggs too, so be aware of this if kept with egg-layers.
Features
Approx. supplied size: 2-3″ / 5-7 cm
Maximum size: 12″ / 30cm
Origin: Asia
Family: Botiidae
Temperament: Peaceful, skittish
Lighting requirement: Low
Ideal number kept together: 5+
Water conditions
Our conditions: pH 7.5, temp 25°C
Ideal pH: 6.0–7.5
Water flow: moderate to strong
Temperature: 23-30°C
Ease of care
Easy to moderate. A well filtered and oxygenated aquarium with fine substrate, moderate water flow and plenty of hiding places is recommended.
Diet
Feed sinking catfish pellets, supplemented by frozen bloodworm.
Breeding
Difficult. Egg layers, not commonly bred in captive aquaria.
Compatibility
Peaceful, community fish. They live well with tank mates such as Tetras, Rasbora, and other livebearers of similar size. They are partial to fish eggs, so have caution if housing with egg-layers.
Lifespan
Clown loach can live 5-10 years in perfect conditions.
For more information on general fishkeeping and our shipping procedures click here.
