Yoyo loach

Quick facts

Adult size

12 cm

Lifespan

can live up to 12 years; long-lived loach; 10-12 years common

Tank zone

bottom

Temperament

semi-aggressive

Difficulty

intermediate

Schooling

recommended 5+ (critical minimum 4, thrives at 8+)

Water parameters

Temperature

23–28°C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Hardness

5 to 15 dGH

Tank requirements

Minimum volume

200 L

Minimum length

100 cm

Flow

low

Lighting

dim preferred

Substrate

sand

Driftwood

preferred

Hiding spots

needed

Lid

required - jumper

Feeding

Diet: omnivore, feeds primarily at the bottom.

Sinking pellets, sinking wafers, frozen bloodworm, frozen brine shrimp, frozen mysis, live blackworms, live snails, and blanched vegetables. They forage actively on the substrate, poking into crevices and under decor. Snails are a favorite food item and they'll systematically clear a pest snail population. Feed once or twice daily with sinking food. In community tanks, they'll also grab food that drifts to the bottom from surface feeders. Not picky about food type but need enough volume to fuel their active metabolism.

Compatibility

• Semi-aggressive bottom-dweller that harasses slow-moving or long-finned tankmates. Corydoras, in particular, get bullied by yoyo loaches. The aggression is territorial rather than predatory.
• Best kept with robust, active species that occupy other zones: barbs, larger tetras, rainbowfish, and other loaches. Avoid bettas, angelfish, and anything slow or fragile.
• Groups of 4+ help spread aggression. A single yoyo loach focuses all its energy on one or two targets. In a group, they sort out a hierarchy among themselves and bother tankmates less.
• Snail eater. Yoyo loaches eat pest snails efficiently, which is often the reason they're purchased. They'll also eat ornamental snails, so don't keep them with mystery snails or nerites you want to survive.

Habitat

Native to slow-moving streams, rivers, and floodplains in northern India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Found over sandy and rocky substrates in clear to slightly turbid water. The species (Botia almorhae) is sometimes listed as Botia lohachata in older references. The common name 'yoyo loach' comes from the pattern of dark markings on the body that, in juveniles, vaguely spell out 'YOYO' along the flanks. The markings are actually a reticulated network of dark brown to black lines and spots on a silver-gold background. The pattern becomes more complex and less 'yoyo'-like as the fish matures. Adults reach 12–15 cm, which surprises keepers who bought 5 cm juveniles. The species has been in the hobby since the 1950s. Both wild-caught and commercially bred specimens are available. Wild-caught fish from Indian river systems are periodically available and tend to show more vivid patterning than farm-bred stock. The fish is active during the day but most boisterous at dawn and dusk.

Breeding

Not bred in home aquariums with any consistency. Like most Botia loaches, the species likely requires seasonal triggers (monsoon-cycle simulation, large water volume, migration cues) that can't be replicated in a standard aquarium. Sexing is difficult; mature females are slightly plumper but the difference is subtle. Commercial breeding reportedly uses hormone injection in large pond facilities in Southeast Asia. Spontaneous spawning in home tanks is essentially undocumented despite the species being kept for over 70 years. The reproductive biology in the wild is poorly studied. Every yoyo loach in stores is either wild-caught or farm-bred using hormones.

Common problems

Aggression toward bottom-dwelling tankmates is the primary concern. Yoyo loaches are relentless chasers and will exhaust slow bottom-dwellers. Corydoras, in particular, fare poorly when housed with yoyo loaches. The solution is choosing tankmates that can handle the pace or keeping the loaches in a species-appropriate community. Ich is common in newly purchased fish; the species is scaleless and sensitive to full-dose medication. Treat with temperature elevation (30°C for 10 days) or half-dose malachite green. Skinny disease (internal parasites, usually from wild-caught specimens) causes progressive wasting. Treat with levamisole or fenbendazole. Jumping is a risk; they leap during the night or when startled. A tight lid is necessary. The growth from 5 cm juvenile to 12–15 cm adult takes several years but catches keepers off guard if they bought the fish for a small tank.

Bioload

Bioload coefficient: 3.2 (active substrate-sifting loach; high foraging activity means moderate-high waste output).

Bioload coefficients are calibrated against the neon tetra as the anchor (1.0). See the methodology page for the formula and how each value was derived.

Further reading

• How to cycle a fish tank
• Stocking ideas by tank size