Freshwater Fish
Clown Loach.
The clown loach is a banded orange-and-black loach with serious personality — social, active, and famous for flopping on its side in a convincing dead-fish impression. It grows to 12 inches and lives for many years, so start a group in a 75-gallon-plus tank; adults need 150 gallons. A reliable snail patrol on top of all that.
We keep this species at our Erie store. Come and see it in the tanks, or call (814) 456-9445 and ask what we have in right now.
Sea Cave keeps this species. You will find these in the tanks at 660 East 14th Street in Erie. We never ship live animals.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
We never ship fish, coral, or invertebrates — every animal here is one you meet in person. Each one is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it goes out into the display tanks. This is a species we keep, and what is swimming on any given day changes with the deliveries, so please call (814) 456-9445 before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Temperament
- Semi aggressive
- Community
- Semi community
- Adult size
- 12"
- Min tank size
- 75–150 gal by age
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Scientific name
- Chromobotia macracanthus
Grows into its tank
Juvenile75 galAdult (group of 5+)150 galGood tank mates
Clown loaches are social and semi-aggressive, so they want similarly-sized, not-timid tankmates and should be kept in a group of their own kind. Good companions include larger barbs (tiger barbs in a big school), bigger rasboras and danios, gouramis, and peaceful medium cichlids like angelfish or severums. Avoid very small fish that fit in their mouth, long-finned slow fish that might get nipped, and aggressive cichlids that will harass them. Not a fit for a peaceful nano community.
Good to know
Clown loaches sometimes rest on their side on the substrate, a behavior that often looks like the fish is dead but is normal.
What is in the tanks and each animal's temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. What is in the tanks and each animal’s temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for advice on pairing.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
Bristlenose Pleco
Peaceful, armored bottom-dweller that shares warm, soft-to-moderate freshwater conditions without competing with clown loaches for food or territory. Multiple dedicated sources confirm these two species coexist without friction, and plecos are generally ignored by clown loaches due to their armor and calm disposition.
Cherry Barb
Peaceful schooling barb that multiple clown loach care guides name as a compatible tankmate. At 2 inches, cherry barbs exceed the size threshold below which clown loaches may treat fish as prey (ember tetras, celestial pearl danios), and they are fast-moving enough to avoid harassment.
- K
Kuhli Loach
Docile, slender loach that thrives in the same warm, soft tropical parameters as clown loaches. The dedicated loach keeper community (loaches.com) explicitly notes that Botiine loaches like clown loaches ignore kuhlis despite the size difference, and no predation risk is documented between these species.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.