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Contents
Overview
The yoyo loach gets its name from the juvenile pattern: dark bands on a silver body often form something resembling the letters "YOYO" along the side. With age the pattern becomes more of a net. It comes from rivers in northern India and Nepal in the Ganges basin, and it is often confused in the trade with Botia lohachata, a very similar species with identical care.
It is active, curious and endlessly entertaining: it digs, explores every corner, makes clicking sounds and sorts out a pecking order within the group. It reaches 5-6 inches (12-15 cm), smaller than a clown loach, which makes it a more manageable choice for medium community tanks with sturdy fish.
Care and tank setup
A group of 5 or more needs about a 55-gallon (200 L) tank, at least 4 feet (120 cm) long, cycled, with a heater, good filtration and well-oxygenated water with some current.
- Group: essential. Kept alone or in pairs, it may bully other fish or hide constantly; in a group, squabbles stay within the species.
- Substrate: sand or smooth fine gravel to protect its barbels.
- Decor: enough caves, driftwood and rocks for everyone. It leaves plants alone but may dig up poorly rooted ones.
- Tank mates: active, medium-sized fish such as barbs, danios, larger rasboras or rainbowfish. Avoid slow or long-finned fish, shrimp and snails.
Like other loaches, it is prone to ich and sensitive to some medications, so quarantine new fish and use reduced doses when treating.
Feeding
A hearty omnivore. Offer sinking wafers and pellets as a base, plus frozen or live foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp or mysis several times a week, along with some blanched vegetables. It devours small snails, which helps control pest outbreaks, but it still needs a complete diet. Feed once or twice a day, ideally in the evening.
Breeding
It does not breed in home aquariums. Fish in the trade are wild caught or come from farms that induce spawning with hormones. Males and females are hard to tell apart, although adult females are usually a bit fuller-bodied. The best thing you can do is buy a healthy group and keep it well: with good care it can live more than a decade.
Compatible tank mates
Species from our database that share water parameters, size and temperament with the Yoyo loach. Calculated from the data in each profile.
Tiger barb Puntigrus tetrazona 26 gal (100 L) · 72–79 °F (22–26 °C) 
Betta fish Betta splendens 7 gal (25 L) · 75–82 °F (24–28 °C) 
Platy Xiphophorus maculatus 16 gal (60 L) · 68–79 °F (20–26 °C) 
Swordtail Xiphophorus hellerii 32 gal (120 L) · 72–81 °F (22–27 °C) 
Bristlenose pleco Ancistrus sp. 26 gal (100 L) · 72–81 °F (22–27 °C) 
Bronze cory Corydoras aeneus 21 gal (80 L) · 72–81 °F (22–27 °C) 
Angelfish Pterophyllum scalare 53 gal (200 L) · 75–84 °F (24–29 °C) 
Dwarf gourami Trichogaster lalius 16 gal (60 L) · 75–82 °F (24–28 °C) 
Blue acara Andinoacara pulcher 53 gal (200 L) · 72–82 °F (22–28 °C) 
Golden wonder killifish (striped panchax) Aplocheilus lineatus 26 gal (100 L) · 72–81 °F (22–27 °C) 
Eastern rainbowfish (splendid rainbowfish) Melanotaenia splendida 53 gal (200 L) · 72–82 °F (22–28 °C) 
Dwarf neon rainbowfish Melanotaenia praecox 32 gal (120 L) · 75–82 °F (24–28 °C) Check the compatibility of your whole tank →
What not to keep it with
Popular species you shouldn’t house with the Yoyo loach, and why.
- Otocinclus catfish: one may eat the other due to size
- Celestial pearl danio: incompatible temperatures, one may eat the other due to size
- Ember tetra: one may eat the other due to size
- Neon tetra: one may eat the other due to size
- Nerite snail: eats snails
- Horned nerite snail: eats snails
- Amano shrimp: eats shrimp
- Cherry shrimp: eats shrimp
Recommended equipment
What you need to keep the Yoyo loach healthy, checked against Amazon stock.
Frequently asked questions
How many liters does a Yoyo loach need?
At least about 200 liters for a group of at least 5 fish. More space always helps keep the water stable.
What water temperature does the Yoyo loach need?
Between 24 and 28 °C, with a pH of 6 to 7.5.
What fish can live with the Yoyo loach?
Based on water, size and temperament, it fits with species such as Tiger barb, Betta fish, Platy, Swordtail and Bristlenose pleco. Use our compatibility calculator to check your whole tank.
Can the Yoyo loach be kept with shrimp?
Not recommended: because of its size or instinct, it will eat shrimp.
