Description
Clown Loach – Vibrant, Playful, and a Fun-Filled Addition to Your Tank
Add a burst of color and energy to your aquarium with the Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus), a strikingly beautiful and lively species known for its bold orange and black markings and playful personality. Native to the rivers and streams of Southeast Asia, this loach is a favorite among aquarium enthusiasts for its captivating appearance and entertaining behaviors.
The Clown Loach gets its name from its vivid clown-like pattern: bright orange body with bold black stripes that run across its body, making it stand out in any tank. As it matures, its striking coloration becomes even more pronounced, providing a dazzling display of color. These loaches are social and highly active, often seen swimming in groups and darting around the tank, adding constant movement and excitement.
Although the Clown Loach is peaceful by nature, it thrives in schools and is best kept in groups of 3 or more. Known for their curious behavior, they will explore all areas of the tank, including plant roots, rocks, and decorations. While they are primarily bottom dwellers, they enjoy swimming throughout the water column, making them a dynamic addition to the aquarium. They also act as natural algae eaters, consuming leftover food, detritus, and algae to help keep the tank clean.
Key Features:
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Bold and Beautiful Appearance: Vibrant orange body with striking black horizontal stripes, resembling a "clown" pattern
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Energetic and Playful: Known for its lively and social nature, the Clown Loach is an active and curious species that adds constant movement to your tank
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Social Species: Enjoys being kept in small groups, where it feels comfortable and engages in natural behaviors
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Natural Algae Eater: A great helper in maintaining a clean tank, consuming leftover food, detritus, and algae
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Hardy and Adaptable: Can thrive in a wide range of freshwater aquariums with proper care and suitable tank mates
Care Guidelines:
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Tank Size: Minimum 75 gallons for a small group (3 or more), as these loaches can grow quite large (up to 12 inches)
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Water Temperature: 75–86°F (24–30°C)
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pH Range: 6.0–7.5
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Diet: Omnivorous – enjoys a balanced diet, including sinking pellets, live or frozen foods (bloodworms, brine shrimp), and vegetable matter like algae wafers
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Lifespan: 10–15 years with proper care
Tip: The Clown Loach thrives in aquariums with plenty of hiding spots such as caves, rocks, and driftwood. They enjoy a well-planted tank where they can forage and explore. Since they are social creatures, it’s important to keep them in groups of 3 or more to ensure they feel secure and exhibit their natural behaviors. Make sure the tank is large enough to accommodate their growth, as they can reach up to 12 inches in length.
The Clown Loach is not just a beautiful aquarium specimen but also a fun and lively addition to any community tank. Its colorful markings and energetic personality will add visual appeal and constant entertainment, while its algae-eating abilities help keep your tank clean.
Click & Collect
FREE COLLECTION FROM OUR STORE
Place your order online and select Click & Collect at checkout.
Livestock will normally be bagged when you arrive, helping to minimise the amount of time animals spend packaged. If you’d prefer your livestock to be ready beforehand, simply contact us in advance.
Local Delivery
DELIVERED BY TROPICAL SUPPLIES • WITHIN 25 MILES
Order from our in-store range and have it delivered directly to you using our own local delivery service.
Minimum order: £50
Local Delivery Charges:
Up to 5 miles — FREE
5–10 miles — £10
10–15 miles — £15
15–20 miles — £20
20–25 miles — £25
Distances are measured “as the crow flies” rather than by road.
Once your order has been placed, we’ll contact you to arrange a suitable delivery date and time. We often combine nearby orders into efficient delivery runs, so local delivery may take a little longer during busy periods.
Ordering a large aquarium?
Please make sure someone is available to help unload the aquarium from our van when we arrive.
Dry Goods Delivery
FREE UK Delivery Over £75
Spend £75 or more on eligible dry goods and receive FREE UK delivery on orders weighing up to 20kg.
A great opportunity to stock up on food, treatments, filter media, accessories and other aquarium or reptile essentials while saving on delivery.
Free delivery applies to eligible orders up to 20kg and excludes livestock, aquariums, terrariums and other oversized items.
Qualifying orders will automatically show the FREE UK Delivery option at checkout — no discount code required.
Standard Parcel Delivery
Our standard parcel delivery charges are calculated according to the weight of your order and the available delivery service.
Orders placed before 12 noon may be dispatched the same day on our current dispatch days.
Express Pallet
75–500kg • Usually 1–3 working days
Designed for large and heavy orders that cannot be sent using our standard parcel service.
Please note: We currently dispatch parcels Wednesday to Friday.
Adding Something to an Existing Order?
If your original order hasn’t been dispatched yet, simply place the additional items as a Click & Collect order and leave us a note asking us to combine them with your existing order.
Available to Order
See something you want that we don’t currently have on the shelf? Many of our products can be quickly sourced from our suppliers.
Products marked Available to Order are not currently held in stock at our store but are available for us to order on your behalf.
Most items arrive with us within a few days and usually no longer than a week, depending on supplier availability.
Once your item arrives with us, we’ll either dispatch your order or let you know it’s ready for collection, depending on the delivery option you selected.
After receiving your order, we’ll check availability with our supplier. If there are any issues or expected delays, we’ll contact you to let you know.
Nationwide Livestock Delivery
Have your new livestock delivered safely to your door using our specialist livestock delivery service.
Minimum livestock order: £50
Thursday Delivery — £24
Order by: Wednesday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Wednesday afternoon
Delivered: Thursday before 1pm
Friday Delivery — £24
Order by: Thursday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Thursday afternoon
Delivered: Friday before 1pm
Saturday Delivery — £29
Order by: Friday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Friday afternoon
Delivered: Saturday before 1pm
Add Dry Goods to Your Livestock Order
You can include suitable dry goods with your livestock delivery, making it easy to add food, treatments, filter media, accessories and other supplies at the same time.
Please note: Livestock deliveries cannot include frozen food or heavy items such as gravel, sand or other unsuitable bulky goods. These items must be ordered separately using an appropriate delivery method.
Already Placed Your Order?
No problem. If your livestock order hasn’t been dispatched yet, place another order using Click & Collect and leave us a note asking us to combine it with your existing order.
Payment & Security
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