The chromobotia macracanthus commonly known as the clown loach was discovered by Pieter Bleeker in 1852. The clown loach can be as small as 7 inches and as large as 14 inches. It can be a white or reddish orange coloration and it has 3 thick black stripes that combined form the striped pattern that a clown fish has. It has very thick, fleshy lips and 4 pairs of barbells. Some of the loaches coloration depends on where it lives. The females tend to be plumper than the male loaches. Another way to distinguish male from female is that the males have a curved appearance on the tips of their tailfin, and the females have straight ends. Their bodies are slightly broad, but long.

 

The clown loach is all in all a very beautiful fish. The clown loach can be found in Indonesia (on Somatra and Borneo- islands in Indonesia). It is a freshwater fish, that happily lives in streams or rivers. It can also live in murky flood plains due to biannual monsoons. As an adult they will migrate to smaller areas for breeding purposes. The clown loach can also live in an aquarium. It is actually a very common aquarium pet. Make sure to put lots of underwater toys in your tank if you have a clown loach because in small groups loaches love hiding. Some fish that will get along and even school with clown loaches are tiger barbs and panda corydoras.

 

Like I said, loaches absolutely love to hide, but if the loach is hiding a bit too much there are a few things that you can do. Loaches like to be around peaceful fish, so find a few more subtle species if you have rowdy fish ( good suggestions were offered just in the last paragraph) and the clown fish will be much more comfortable. It also enjoys real plants to hide in. The clown loach likes to have all different plants and fish in its tank because it came from streams and rivers, so it is a good fish if you already have a fish tank housing different fish before you buy a loach. Loaches also enjoy having sunlight around, so have the tank near a window.

 

The clown loach is truly, a very good aquarium pet. Clown loaches will eat almost any carnivorous food, and will eat vegetables as well. They are very much so omnivours, like humans. They also enjoy snails, which is an investment for those seeking snail control. It will also eat shrimp, and as it matures, even fish slices. The clown loach might need to try some of this food a few times, but it can choose favorites. How do you know what your loaches favorite food is? When loaches are happy or content they make a clicking sound. When you give a loach its favorite food it will click in thanks to receiving its favorite treat.

 

The loach is a very slow growing fish, but if you would like a larger loach (this is still a slow process) you can feed it 3-5 times a day. Clown fish will eat carnivorous food and many other things in the wild as well as captivity. They are bottom dwellers that use their mustache like barbells to eat their food. One of the loaches worst enemies is not a fish or a bird. It is a skin disease commonly known as ich. Ich can be caused by poor water conditions, so make sure that The water quality of your tank is in very good shape. They also need to be watched when new fish are entering the tank or the loach itself is first coming into the tank.

 

Against actual predators the loach will use a nifty little defense mechanism. The clown loaches has a very special bar that it can extend to puncture its enemy. The wound is not poisonous, but it will give you a painful jab. The clown loach is captured at an estimated 20 million loaches a year! This is why I think that humans are the loaches greatest predator. We take them out of their habitat and plop them into a 2ft by 3ft glass box. We are not hurting the loach by a bit more than the occasional skin rash, but we are taking it out of its home.

 

I loved doing a report on the clown loach! I found so many interesting things about the loaches. I thought that clown loaches were just herbivores, but they will eat almost anything. That was very interesting to me. Another cool thing I learned is that Indonesia will not allow any loach larger than 10 cm. exported (mainly for breeding purposes) . The loach is a beautiful fish and I’m glad I got a report on it, because I knew so little about it. The clown loach, if you ask me is an amazing little fish.
 

Author: Jenni B

Published: 02/2009

 

Sources:

VIA WEB- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown_loach http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/breeding/Berg_Clown_Loaches.html http://www.loaches.com/species-index/clown-loach-chromobotia-macracanthus http://www.sydneycichlid.com/clown-loach.htm VIA BOOK- ISBN 0-7566-1634-4

 

Photo Credit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chromobotia_macracanthus.jpg