Description
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.
In stock orders placed before 2pm will be despatched on the same working day (not including palletised items, pond plants or fibreglass ponds).
Pre-orders are shipped once we have the stock available and will be shipped using the service chosen at checkout.
All services are working day services and do not include delivery on Saturdays and Sundays or public holidays as standard. Deliveries are usually Monday to Friday only, although some Royal Mail items may be delivered on weekends as standard if the service is available in your area.
| SERVICE | SPEND | COST |
| Packet/Courier items | ||
| Royal Mail (2-3 days) | £0.00-£49.99 | £2.99 |
| Royal Mail Next Day (1-2 days) | £0.00-£49.99 | £4.99 |
| Parcelforce 24 (1 day) | £0.00-£49.99 | £7.99 |
| Parcelforce 24 (1 day) | £50 and up | FREE |
| Pallets (booked in) | aquariums / bulky items | |
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Pallets Standard (3-5 days) |
- | FREE |
|
Pallets Express (1-2 days) |
- | £39.99 |
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| *EXCLUDED ITEMS | extra delivery fees apply: | |
| Fibreglass Ponds (booked in) | ||
|
Zone 1 (7-10 days) |
- | £79.99 |
| Zone 2 (7-14 days) | - | £149.99 |
| Zone 3 (7-21 days) | - | £249.99 |
| Pond Plants (direct from grower) |
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| All pond plants (3-10 days) | one-off fee regardless of order size/value | £5.99 |
Please see our full delivery information page and terms and conditions for detailed information on shipping policies and zones