Home / Fishes / Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches / Botiidae / Clown loach
No federal permit to keepClown loach
Chromobotia macracanthus
Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Botiidae (Clown, yoyo and other loaches)
The clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus), or tiger botia, is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the botiid loach family.
Care at a glance
Species-specific values
Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.
| Water temperature | 75–86 °F (24–30 °C) Seriously Fish aquarium recommendation; not a wild collection measurement. | 275 |
| Water pH | 5–7 pH Seriously Fish aquarium recommendation; not a wild collection measurement. | 275 |
| Water general hardness | 1–12 dGH Seriously Fish aquarium recommendation; not a wild collection measurement. | 275 |
| Maximum standard length | 400 mm SL Source maximum; not total length or a guaranteed adult size. | 275 |
| Minimum tank base | length: 180 cm; width: 60 cm Adult housing recommendation; also provide room and shelters for a social group. | 275 |
| Social group size minimum | 5–6 fish Source prefers 10 or more when adequate space is available. | 275 |
| Diet | Varied sinking prepared foods and live/frozen invertebrates, with some plant foods; snails are optional prey, not a complete diet. | 275 |
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 48 in long and 24 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 12.0 in / 30.5 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 77–86°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 5–8.
- Hardness: 5–12 dGH.
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
- Diet: Eats a varied diet: mix quality prepared foods with frozen and live foods. FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 71 × 24 in (roughly 171 US gallons); space needed is rated “very large tank”.
- Water: soft, acidic water, 75–86 °F, pH 5–7, 1–12 dGH.
- Behaviour: a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “All botiids need a well-structured set-up although the actual choice of décor is more-or-less down to personal taste.”
- Diet: “Appears to be chiefly carnivorous they will also eat vegetative matter if available, often including soft-leaved aquatic plants.”
- Tankmates: “Not especially aggressive but don't keep it with much smaller fishes as they may be intimidated by its size and sometimes very active behaviour.”
- Breeding: “In nature this species is a migratory spawner, moving from the main river channels into smaller tributaries with surrounding, temporarily inundated flood plains during the rainy season.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Clown, yoyo and other loaches
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Botiids inhabit Asian freshwater rivers and tributaries, including forested headwaters and seasonally flooded river margins. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Provide at least an 80 × 30 cm (31 × 12 in) base for dwarf chain loaches; clown loaches require at least 180 × 60 cm (71 × 24 in).
- Use sand or fine gravel, smooth rocks, roots and numerous shelters; fill trapping holes and remove sharp edges.
- Fit a tight lid.
- Use a mature biological filter and maintain well-oxygenated water with some flow.
- Perform routine weekly water changes of 30–50% for the dwarf chain loach setup.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 75.2–86°F |
Diet
- Quality sinking dried foods
- Live or frozen bloodworms
- Daphnia or Artemia
- Blanched spinach or courgette
Social life
- For clown and dwarf chain loaches, keep at least 5–6 conspecifics, preferably 10 or more; pairs and trios can suffer severe dominance stress. Avoid slow, long-finned tankmates.
Handling
- Take care with the erectable subocular spines when moving loaches; they can become entangled in nets.
Health watch
- Stress and failure to feed in undersized social groups
- Entrapment injuries in narrow décor
- Water-quality illness from accumulated organic waste
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is the sole member of the genus Chromobotia. It originates in inland waters in Indonesia on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Clown loach” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams. Stays near the bottom. Adults are found mostly at the bottom of main river channels, often hiding under rocks, woods, or in mud cavities. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 77–86 °F (25–30 °C), pH 5–8, hardness 5–12 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: brood hiders. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 77–86 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 89°F (up to 90°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 72°F (down to 72°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 80–81°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 79–82% on average (driest month about 76%) |
| Rainfall | about 2546 mm a year, spread fairly evenly |
Measured at 12 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus), or tiger botia, is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the botiid loach family. It is the sole member of the genus Chromobotia. It originates in inland waters in Indonesia on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The fish is called ulanguli by the locals in Sentarum, West Borneo. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Behavior | Information about the maximum size of the clown loach varies, with some estimates ranging up to 20–30 cm, and with typical adult sizes ranging from 15–20 cm. The fish's body is long and laterally compressed, with an arched dorsal surface and a flat ventral surface. Its head is relatively large and its mouth faces downward with thick, fleshy lips, and four pairs of barbels. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Reproduction | Breeding occurs at the beginning of the rainy season in fast flowing rivers. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Maximum length 30.5 cm tl male/unsexed; maximum published weight 469.00 g. — FishBase |
| Biology | Adults are found mostly at the bottom of main river channels, often hiding under rocks, woods, or in mud cavities. Juveniles are often found in the floodplains. Adults feed on worms, crustaceans and plant matter. — FishBase |
| History and naming | The fish was first described as Cobitis macracanthus by Pieter Bleeker in 1852. In 1989, its scientific name was changed to Botia macracanthus. In 2004, Dr. Maurice Kottelat divided the genus Botia, containing 47 different species, into seven separate genera, resulting in the clown loach being placed in a genus of its own, Chromobotia. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 71 × 24 in (about 171 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Chromobotia macracanthus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Ambastaia sidthimunki Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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