Description
Yoyo Loach – Playful, Colorful, and Efficient Algae-Eater
Introduce a lively and colorful personality to your aquarium with the Yoyo Loach (Botia almorhae), a dynamic and engaging species known for its playful nature and striking "Y"-shaped markings. Native to the rivers and streams of South Asia, this hardy loach adds a fun and vibrant touch to your tank while also playing a vital role in keeping your aquarium clean.
The Yoyo Loach is instantly recognizable by its unique black and gold pattern, with a distinctive "Y" or "W"-shaped mark on its body, giving it its common name. Its slender, elongated body and active behavior make it a delightful addition to any community aquarium. Known for its energetic and curious nature, the Yoyo Loach is always on the move, darting around the tank, exploring every nook and cranny, and interacting with other tankmates.
A peaceful but active species, the Yoyo Loach thrives in groups and enjoys the company of its own kind. It’s an excellent algae eater, constantly searching for algae, detritus, and leftover food on the substrate and tank surfaces. Its social behavior and charming antics make it a perfect fit for community tanks, where it adds both beauty and entertainment.
Key Features:
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Striking Appearance: Beautiful black and gold pattern with a distinctive "Y"-shaped marking that makes this loach easy to identify
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Playful & Energetic: Known for its active and curious nature, the Yoyo Loach is always exploring the tank and interacting with its environment
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Peaceful & Social: A calm species that enjoys the company of its own kind and gets along well with other non-aggressive fish
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Efficient Algae Eater: A great helper in maintaining a clean tank, constantly foraging for algae, detritus, and leftover food
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Hardy & Adaptable: Suitable for a variety of freshwater setups with proper care, including tanks with plants and moderate to strong water flow
Care Guidelines:
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Tank Size: Minimum 30 gallons for a group (3 or more)
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Water Temperature: 75–85°F (24–29°C)
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pH Range: 6.0–7.5
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Diet: Omnivorous – enjoys a varied diet, including sinking pellets, live or frozen foods (bloodworms, brine shrimp), and plant matter like algae wafers
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Lifespan: 5–7 years with proper care
Tip: Yoyo Loaches love a well-planted aquarium with hiding spots, such as caves or driftwood, where they can retreat when they feel the need for privacy. These loaches are very social and will thrive best in small groups, so it’s important to keep at least three to ensure they’re happy and comfortable. A fine substrate is ideal to protect their sensitive barbels, which they use to explore the tank bottom in search of food.
With its striking appearance, playful behavior, and helpful algae-eating abilities, the Yoyo Loach is a fantastic addition to any community tank. Its lively nature and natural cleaning habits make it both an entertaining and functional species, providing constant action while keeping your tank clean and healthy.
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.
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