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Botia macracantha
Scientific Name - Botia macracantha or possibly Botia macracanthus
Other Names - Clown loach, Clown botia, tiger loach, tiger botia
Max Size - up to about 24" in the wild, but aquarium specimens are usually much smaller
Temperature - 77-86 F (25-30 C)
pH - (6.7-7.2)
Water Type - Freshwater
Tank Level - bottom
Diet - This species will eat almost anything, but particularly likes bloodworms
Temperament - peaceful but may be slightly aggressive to other fish
Breeding - not much is known about this species breeding
Minimum Tank length - 60cm (24")
Distribution - Borneo, Sumatra, India
Sexing - this fish is not sexually dimorphic
Temperament - suitable for community tanks
This is the most colourful of all botia loaches, it has 3 black bars, one through its eye, one through its middle and just by the tail, it is because of its colour and also its activeness that this fish has become an aquarium favourite across the world.
In the wild this fish can get about 24" in length but in the home aquarium it is uncommon for them to reach anything like this size.
I have personally owned a few of these and I have found that they are very delicate when fist added to the tank, also once established they become active and you will often see it swimming about.
I had one which was about 7" and it would have battles with a pair of parrot cichlids on a daily basis, there was never any damage done and it was sure good to watch but I think this shows that they can become slightly aggressive.
This fish thrives with its own kind, it loves to shoal and so it is better to keep in groups of 3 or more.
if keeping this species be sure to provide it with plenty of hiding places as it likes to retreat from time to time, also when it is new to the aquarium it will most likely hide for a month or so as it gets used to its surroundings - this is nothing to worry about.
This fish is sensitive to water quality and is also prone to ick so beware to keep the tank in good condition and also look out for decease every time you add new fish, also if you do need to medicate be careful as this fish is also sensitive to some meds and so read the bottle - you may have to 1/2 the dosage
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