White Cloud Mountain minnows are small, peaceful, schooling fish best known for being hardy, active, and great in cooler freshwater tanks. Adults are only about 1.5in, with a slim body and a bright horizontal stripe; males are usually slimmer and more colorful than females.
They do best in groups (8–10+) with plenty of swimming room, plants, and clean, well-oxygenated water. They’ll eat most small foods—flakes/micro-pellets as staples, plus brine shrimp or daphnia as treats—and are generally easy to keep, making them a solid choice for beginners and for unheated or lightly heated community setups.
Behaviour
Minnows are schooling fish and will become more confident and active in bigger groups. They are active swimmers, generally non-aggressive and sometimes playful with each other. Minnows show a lot of curiosity in a fish tank and they are more comfortable in cooler, oxygen-rich water. They can also jump, so a lid on the aquarium is a good idea.
Types of Minnows Similar to White Clouds
Most minnows sold in North America are bred in the hobby and not caught in the wild. The name “White Cloud Minnow” comes from the location they are caught in the wild, the White Cloud Mountains in China. There are several fin variants that are sold at fish stores (usually not wild-caught) including the “gold” and “long fin” varieties that are bred in captivity and are the same species.
Tanichthys micagemmae are often sold as “Vietnamese White Clouds” or “Vietnamese Cardinals”, and although very similar to the White Cloud species, are slightly different. They do however have the same basic requirements as White Cloud Mountain Minnows.
Personally, I’ve mixed the “golden” and “white cloud” varieties, and they school and interact together just fine.
DEMOGRAPHICS
- Scientific Name: Tanichthys albonubes
- Common Name: White Cloud Minnow
- Origins: China & Vietnam
- Adult Size: 1in – 1.5in
- Lifespan: 3 – 5 years
- Diet: Omnivore
- Temperament: Peaceful
- Schooling: 6 to 8
- Breeding: Egglayer
- Care Level: Easy
IUCN STATUS
WATER PARAMETERS
- Temperature:64F to 72F
- pH: 6.0 – 8.0
- Hardness: 4 – 12 dGH
AQUARIUM SETUP
- Foods: flake food, bloodworms, brine shrimp
- Water Type: slow flowing freshwater
- Substrate: fine gravel or sand
- Tank Setup: plants and caves
- Min Tank Size: 10 gallons
TANK MATES
Minnows will get along with most other species, including most community fish, but they do prefer cold water which makes their “ideal” tankmates limited.
GOOD TANK MATES
- Tetras (Neon, Cardinal, Rummy-nose, Ember)
- Rasboras (small that tolerate cool temps)
- Danios (like Zebra Danios)
- Hillstream Loaches
- Amano Shrimp
- Cherry Shrimp
- Nerite Snails
- Mystery Snails
BAD TANK MATES
- Fish requiring warmer temperatures.
- Large, aggressive cichlids or other big territorial fish that may bully or eat small corys.
- Fish known to nip fins aggressively (like some barbs).
- Very large predatory fish.
