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| Clown Loaches photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons user lindsay sorensen |
Origin: Indonesia, Borneo
Life-span: over 20 years
Temperature: 77° to 83°F (22 to 30°C)
Food: Flake food, bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp, algae wafers, frozen foods, vegetables like cucumber, zucchini, and peas
Care: Clown loaches like aquariums with live plants, driftwood, and rocks. They like to hide but also swim out in the open. Many people have a single clown loach in their aquarium, but the clown loach is actually a schooling fish and should be kept in groups of at least three. A major bonus of having a clown loach is that they eat snails! If you buy live plants you may inherit a snail problem and the clown loach is a great remedy.
The clown loach can get quite large, 12-13 inches. Don't be fooled by the size they are sold at in pet stores. Keep this in mind before purchasing a school of clown loaches. However, despite their gigantic size, they are a very peaceful fish and do great even with small fish like guppies.
One of my clown loaches constantly swims upside down. It alarmed me at first because I though it was sick, but I've now had them over a year and they are healthy as can be. It is also said that the clown loach emits a clicking noise, but I've never heard mine make the noise so I can't describe it personally. (Mine are only about five inches so maybe they aren't big enough!) If you have any insight on this please feel free to leave a comment!
Sexing: Females are plumper and males are more slender
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