The golden white cloud minnow has a cream to yellow-gold body, with the red held in its fins. It is a small, peaceful schooling fish for a cool tank, and an easy one for beginners.
Did you know
The golden white cloud minnow gets paler still when breeders push the selection further. Wikipedia records that inbreeding Golden Clouds has produced Blonde Clouds, light yellow fish colored like blonde guppies. The same inbreeding has produced Pink Clouds, pinkish-beige fish that have lost almost all remaining pigment except the red on the fins.
Caring for the golden white cloud minnow
Keep golden white cloud minnows in a school of at least six, since a tight group looks and behaves best. A small school fits in 10 gal (38 L) or more. They are active swimmers that hold in the middle and upper water. Gold intensity varies between suppliers, so look at the fish rather than the stock photo.
They like cool water at 57 to 72°F (14 to 22°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They tolerate cooler water better than most community fish, so many homes need no heater as long as the room stays cool. Aim for soft, slightly acidic to neutral water, with some plants and current.
Golden white cloud minnows are peaceful and undemanding. Feed flake, micro pellets and small frozen foods such as daphnia and brine shrimp. They spawn by scattering eggs among plants and give no parental care, and breeding them is easy.
Good to know
The golden white cloud minnow's gold is usually described as a loss of dark pigment rather than added yellow. In this form, the wild fish's dark lateral line fades or vanishes, while the red in the fins survives. Depending on the shop, it is stocked as Gold White Cloud, Golden White Cloud or Gold White Cloud Mountain Minnow. Wikipedia names it and the longer-finned Meteor Minnow as the two commonly available variants, so this is the color half of the pair. Seriously Fish notes that inbreeding has left many of the fish available today genetically weak and prone to disease or physical deformity. Wikipedia records the same about farm-bred stock in this species.
In the wild
The golden white cloud minnow is a captive color form that is not found in wild white cloud populations. Wikipedia dates the Golden Cloud to the 1990s, later than the long-finned meteor minnow. That passage carries no citation, and no primary source stands behind it. Sellers describe the fish only as tank-bred, and no breeder or country is on record.
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Tank mates
The golden white cloud minnow is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Is a golden white cloud minnow a different species from the White Cloud Mountain minnow?
No. A golden white cloud minnow is a variety of the White Cloud Mountain minnow, Tanichthys albonubes, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.
What size tank does a golden white cloud minnow need?
A golden white cloud minnow needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What does a golden white cloud minnow eat?
A golden white cloud minnow is an undemanding eater. Offer flake and micro pellets, with small frozen foods such as daphnia and brine shrimp.
How big does a golden white cloud minnow get?
An adult golden white cloud minnow reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).
Does a golden white cloud minnow need a group?
Yes. A golden white cloud minnow is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
How does a golden white cloud minnow breed?
Golden white cloud minnows scatter their eggs among plants and give no parental care. Breeding them is easy.
1.2 in (3 cm)12 gal (45 L)64–73°F (18–23°C)
1.6 in (4 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
1.6 in (4 cm)14 gal (54 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
1.6 in (4 cm)20 gal (75 L)64–75°F (18–24°C)
1.6 in (4 cm)16 gal (60 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)
1.6 in (4 cm)14 gal (54 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)