A harmless, very active, social fish, they are best kept in groups of 3 or more and due to their potential size a 50 gallon aquarium should be the minimum size used. The clown loach, Chromobotia macracanthus, or tiger botia is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the Cobitidae (loach) family. It is the sole member of the Chromobotia genus. It originates in inland waters in Indonesia on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. It is a popular fish in the freshwater aquarium trade and is sold worldwide. Information about the maximum size of the clown loach varies, with some estimates ranging from 11 to 14 inches (40 to 50 cm), and with typical adult sizes ranging from 7 to 10 inches (15 to 20 cm).The fish's body is long and laterally compressed, with an arched dorsal surface and a flat ventral surface. Its head is large and its mouth faces downward with thick, fleshy lips, and four pairs of barbels. The barbels on the lower jaw are small and difficult to see. The clown loach is a bottom-dwelling omnivorous fish. In the wild, its diet primarily consists of the food it is able to find on the substrate, including snails, crustaceans, worms, freshwater shrimp, vegetable matter, and aquatic insect larvae. In the aquarium it can mainly be fed carnivore pellets and bloodworms. It will also readily accept flake food that is floating around and it will also eat snails or other small invertebrates. A younger 3 inch clown loach can't consume tablets. Red insect larve can cause digestive errors.
(Courtesy: Wikipedia)