White cloud mountain minnow care
Tanichthys albonubes · Mountain streams of southern China
White clouds are true cool-water fish: 64 to 72 °F, so an unheated tank in a normal room suits them.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 64 to 72 °F (18 to 22 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 1.5 in
- pH
- 6 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 18 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep white cloud mountain minnows
White clouds are true cool-water fish: 64 to 72 °F, so an unheated tank in a normal room suits them. Keep six or more in a 10 gallon or larger tank. They make a good alternative to goldfish for a small unheated tank, and they leave plants alone.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, micro pellets, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
White cloud mountain minnow tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Medaka
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 65–82 °F
Cherry shrimp
1.6 in · 5+ gal · 65–82 °F
DrawingAsian stone catfish
1.6 in · 10+ gal · 64–75 °F
Crystal red shrimp
1.2 in · 10+ gal · 62–76 °F
Malaysian trumpet snail
1.2 in · 5+ gal · 64–86 °F
Zebra danio
2 in · 10+ gal · 64–77 °F
Panda corydoras
2 in · 15+ gal · 68–77 °F
Amano shrimp
2 in · 10+ gal · 68–80 °F
Keep apart
Cardinal tetra: No shared temperature: white cloud mountain minnows need 64 to 72 °F, cardinal tetras 73 to 81 °F.
Black neon tetra: No shared temperature: white cloud mountain minnows need 64 to 72 °F, black neon tetras 73 to 81 °F.
Green neon tetra: No shared temperature: white cloud mountain minnows need 64 to 72 °F, green neon tetras 75 to 82 °F.
Ember tetra: No shared temperature: white cloud mountain minnows need 64 to 72 °F, ember tetras 73 to 84 °F.
Rummy-nose tetra: No shared temperature: white cloud mountain minnows need 64 to 72 °F, rummy-nose tetras 75 to 82 °F.- Golden pencilfish: No shared temperature: white cloud mountain minnows need 64 to 72 °F, golden pencilfish 75 to 82 °F.
What a white cloud mountain minnow tank needs
A tank of 10 US gallons or more (such as the 10 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below. White cloud mountain minnows are comfortable at room temperature, so a heater is optional in a normal home.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, S
Rated by the maker for 7–10 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon white cloud mountain minnow tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon white cloud mountain minnow tank without being built for a far bigger one.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding white cloud mountain minnows.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 64 to 72 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 10 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common white cloud mountain minnow problems
- Kept too warm for long they live shorter lives; do not pair them with tropical fish that need 78 °F or more.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Tanichthys albonubes. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Medaka Seotaro, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Crystal red shrimp DirkBlankenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Malaysian trumpet snail Buchling, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra danio Roundish, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Panda corydoras Chronotopian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green neon tetra Sascha Biedermann, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ember tetra Klaus Rudloff, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rummy-nose tetra PierangeloGatto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Harlequin rasbora NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Chili rasbora JoKrimmel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celestial pearl danio Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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