White Cloud Mountain Minnows
The White Cloud Mountain Minnow (Tanichthys Albonubes) is a small freshwater fish. They can growth to between 4cm and 5cm in length (approx 1.5-2 inches). It is native to China, originally from the White Cloud Mountain (Mount Baiyun).
The White Cloud Mountain Minnow is now rarely seen in the wild and is considered an endangered species in China. Breeding and reintroduction programs have been introduced but the level of success is unknown.
Their life expectancy is between 3 and 5 years. They are a non-aggressive and hardy schooling fish and do best when kept in a school of 8 or more. As is often the case in fish of this size, the female is larger with a more rounded body that their male counterparts.
Caring for your White Cloud Mountain Minnows
The White Cloud Mountain Minnow makes for a great aquarium fish, and requires only a low to medium amount of care. They are hardy, schooling fish which can make for a great spectacle in the tank.
Habitat
Historically the white cloud mountain minnow was native to the Baiyun Mountain area in Guangdong Province, China. Due to overfishing, it was believed during the 1980s and 1990s that the species was extinct. It has since been rediscovered close to Hainan Island – well away from the White Cloud Mountain. There have also been some small populations discovered closer to the original location.
The Hainan Island habitat consists of slow moving coastal streams. There is a mixture of sand and pebbles, and the water is rarely deep. The White Cloud Mountain Minnow has since been added to China’s endangered species list.
Fish Tank Conditions
Normal advice would be to provide White Cloud Mountain Minnows with a similar environment within your fish tank that they would experience in the wild. Having said that, there is not that much known about their true habitat!
Using a dark sand and / or pebble substrate would be ideal, with a filter strong enough to provide a small water flow (but not so big as to cause too much of a current and put the fish under stress)! They are likely to enjoy a lightly planted tank.
At a minimum a 10 gallon fish tank is required. If you keep these minnows in a larger school a 20 gallon fish tank (or larger) would be preferable. One additional consideration is the swimming style of these fish – they love to swim in schools, and giving them more space to move in a larger tank will make the visual display all the more impressive!
The minnows will tend to swim at the middle to top of the tank. So could work well with other species who tend to occupy the bottom of the tank.
Ideal Water Conditions
One thing to bear in mind is that the minnows prefer temperatures below those of tropical fish. 64 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (18-22 degrees centigrade) will work well. Keeping them above 72 degrees on a constant basis is likely to shorten their lifespan. One good thing about the minnows, however, is that they can survive in cooler temperatures – making them perfect for those who do not want to heat their aquarium!
Although they do not deal well with heat, they are hardy when it comes to water quality. Making them perfect for beginning aquarists. A pH of between 6.5 and 7.5 works well. Water hardness is not a critical factor – as long as you stay away from the extremes then all will be well.
Changing the Water
White Cloud Mountain Minnows are hardy, and not demanding on your aquarium water. They will, however, need to have their water freshened over time. Changing 25% every few weeks should work well.
Lighting
Your minnows can withstand a range of lighting. Mid range lighting (not too dark, not too bright) should provide a nice balance and help to showcase the colors of your fish. If you want to take it a step further and evolve your tank coloring to match the natural times of the day then a Finnex Planted+ 24/7 aquarium light is well worth considering.
Filters
White Cloud Mountain Minnows don’t put a heavy strain on your tank and do not require specialized filtration. Choosing a filter that is rated for your chosen tank size is perfectly sufficient.
Feeding / Nutrition
White Cloud Mountain Minnows are omnivores. One diet that works is to use good quality flakes or pellets as a core component of their diet and then to supplement it with bloodworms, mosquito larvae, brine shrimp or Daphnia.
Difficulty
White Cloud Mountain Minnows are easy to care for. They make for great starter fish. They are also non-aggressive and can be added to a community tank. Just avoid adding them to a tank which has fish large enough to eat your minnows!
White Cloud Mountain Minnows Behavior
White cloud mountain minnows are peaceful, schooling fish. They are sociable and tend to occupy the top and middle of the tank. It is best to keep them with other non-aggressive fish such as Rasboras, Dwarf Gouramis and Corys. Avoid putting them with aggressive fish such as Angelfish and Cichlids. You may wake up to less minnows than you started with!
One nice idea is to create your minnow school with fish of a range of different ages. This will help to display a wonderful array of colors as the juvenile colors differ from the adult ones.
White Cloud Mountain Minnows Breeding
White Cloud Mountain Minnows are easy to breed. They are egg scatterers that do not actively care for their young. Often you will not have to intervene further than ensuring the tank is sufficiently planted and reducing the amount of lighting in the tank.
Alternatively, you could also set up a separate breeding tank. Again, this should be dimly lit, and ideally populated with grass / plants (artificial is fine). One spawning has occurred the adults should be removed from the tank otherwise they will eat the eggs.
Assuming all is well, the eggs will begin to hatch in 2-3 days. At this point, it would be best to feed them with infant specific fish food, until they are able to move on to adult fish food.
White Cloud Mountain Minnows – Conclusion
White Cloud Mountain Minnows (Tanichthys albonubes) is an easy fish to keep. They are social, schooling fish and can do very well in a community tank. They are perfect for beginning fish keepers as they are tolerant of less than perfect water conditions. Just make sure not to keep them in water that is too warm!