Description

The coloration and behavior of the clown loach makes it extremely popular, but it is very often improperly kept and therefore short-lived. This is extremely unfortunate because otherwise this is a very long-lived fish (with a lifespan of up to decades). It takes many years to mature; this is good, since as they mature, their brilliant coloration gets washed out. The proper way to keep these fish is in groups in large tanks. Two or three is bad, six or eight is good, more is even better. They are happiest together, and their social behavior is intriguing to watch. Having many specimens lessens the chance of serious aggression against any one fish. Provide well-filtered, well-oxygenated water.
They are greedy eaters, but water quality is extremelyl important, so frequent, large water changes are necessary to keep your loaches happy and healthy. Being scaleless, they are very susceptible to ich but do not tolerate medications well. Best treatment for ich is heat–90 degrees Fahrenheit water for 10 days, perhaps