How to Take Care of Clown Loaches

Clown loaches are a vibrant and playful tropical freshwater fish originating from Indonesia. They are a commonly kept aquarium fish found in many pet stores, but despite their widespread popularity they are not a beginner fish. If you want to successfully keep a group of clown loaches in your own aquarium, you need to know how to care for them.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Preparing the Tank

1
Purchase an appropriately sized aquarium. Clown loaches are for intermediate fish keepers and must be kept in a school of at least 6 clown loaches. The adult clown loach typically reaches a size of 12 inches long (30cm), but has been known to grow up to 18 inches (46cm) in captivity. Such a large fish needs an equally large tank, so you will need a minimum of a 55-gallon aquarium for juveniles and a minimum of 75 - 120 gallons for adults.
- Once your clown loaches reach about 6 inches long (about 15cm), or about three years old, they should be moved to their larger adult aquarium.
- The clown loaches you see in pet stores are juvenile clown loaches. Compared to many other species of fish, clown loaches grow at a rather slow rate. You might be able to keep your loaches in a 55-gallon aquarium for a couple of years before upgrading to a larger tank, while other fish would outgrow a small tank within months.
2
Get a filter. Clown loaches prefer to have a large amount of current in their tank, and this can be provided with a large HOB (hang-on back) filter. You can also use a canister filter but, just be sure that they are provided with some current in another form.
- Powerheads are the best option to create a strong current in your tank, though air stones can help too.
Advertisement
3
Provide appropriate decorations. Since they are found in rocky streams with plant life in the wild, any aquarium decoration should try to emulate this environment. It should contain large, rounded river rocks (though sand will work too), and there should also be some plants. It’s also extremely important to provide them with at least one cave in their aquarium,.
- It's very important to also provide your clown loaches with at least one cave, or other hiding spaces, in their aquarium. They prefer caves with a low roof, rather than wide, open hiding spots.
4
Adjust the water as needed. Clown loaches will tolerate a wide range of pH (from 6.5 to 7.5). As tropical fish, clowns loaches require fairly warm water. Their ideal water temperature ranges between 75-86 degrees Fahrenheit (24-30 degrees Celsius). So for most people, an aquarium heater is needed.
- Before adding any fish to your aquarium, you must make sure the water is safe for your fish and properly cycled.
Advertisement

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Feeding and Breeding

1
Provide the right diet. Clown loaches are omnivores and feed on insects, plant matter and invertebrates in the wild. Their diet should be high in protein and consist of sinking pellets, algae wafers, and shrimp pellets. To add some variety, you can also supplement their diet with live or frozen foods like bloodworms, blackworms, and brine shrimp.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Clown loaches will also happily snack on any snails you might have in your tank. Though this is great if you have pest snails to get rid of, be aware these loaches will also target any pet snails you want to keep around.
- You can offer fresh vegetables as an occasional treat for your clown loaches. Shelled peas and zucchini are a favorite among loaches. Any vegetables should be blanched before feeding so they don't float and are easier for your clown loach to eat.
2
Know the difference between male and female clown loaches. Though these loaches aren't the easiest fish to sex, it's still possible by closely examining your fish. The easiest way is to look at their tail fins. Females will have normal-looking tail fins with straight tips, while the tips curve slightly inward on male clown loaches.
- Female clown loaches also tend to appear a bit more plump, while males have a more slim body. Females might also appear slightly more dull in color compared to males.
3
Set the right conditions for breeding. Unfortunately, clown loaches are not easy to breed and successful breeding attempts in home aquariums are extremely rare. But if you want to make an attempt to breed them, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Keep nitrates as low as you can and keep the pH at around 7, though some breeders recommend between 6.2-6.4 pH.
- Maintain a water temperature around 77.9-79.7 degrees Fahrenheit (25.5-26.6 degrees Celsius)
- Get a pair of loaches that are at least 6 inches (15cm) long.
- Feed them many times a day (female starts gaining weight to help produce eggs).
If they do lay eggs you would want to first, remove the eggs (or fish if they are isolated) from the tank and put them in the other tank. After several days the fry become free swimming. At this time, you can feed them baby brine shrimp or other commercial fry food. After two weeks, they will become large enough to eat flake food. After they start eating flake food, they begin to grow very quickly.
Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

They absolutely love eating live blackworms but would also eat frozen blackworms, bloodworms or Tubifex worms.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0
Keep all new clown loaches in a quarantine tank for at least two weeks.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0

Warnings

Clown loaches will eat snails in their aquarium. But, they tend to ignore the larger species of snails and have trouble eating Malaysian trumpet snails.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0
Clown loaches have very sharp spines hidden beneath each of their eyes. Though not toxic or poisonous to humans, it is still painful to get pricked by one. Take caution if you need to handle your clown loaches for any reason.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0