TankBud

Kuehne's white cloud minnow

Tanichthys kuehnei

Also known as Vietnamese cardinal minnow kuehnei, Yellow white cloud

FreshwaterFish

Kuehne's white cloud minnow (Tanichthys kuehnei)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–75°F
18–24°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
1.5 in
3.7 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Tanichthyidae
Origin
Central Vietnam

Overview

Kuehne's white cloud minnow is a small, peaceful schooling minnow for a cool, unheated community tank. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

Kuehne's white cloud minnow is part of a run of discoveries in Vietnam. For decades, the white cloud group was known from a single Chinese mountain species. These finds have shown that the genus reaches well south of China and holds several distinct species.

Caring for the Kuehne's white cloud minnow

Keep Kuehne's white cloud minnows in a group of at least eight, where the males color up and display to one another. They swim in the middle and upper water and stay active in the open once they feel secure. A planted tank of 14 gal (54 L) or more suits a starter school, with some open swimming space.

Dense planting, a dark substrate and some driftwood give them cover and show off their colors. Add a gentle to moderate current. Keep the water cool and unheated at 64 to 75°F (18 to 24°C), with a soft to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.5.

Feed small foods they can manage, such as fine flake, crushed micro pellets and small frozen daphnia and cyclops. They are peaceful and community safe, but pushy fish easily out-compete them. Choose calm, similarly sized tank mates.

Kuehne's white cloud minnow is an egg scatterer that drops its eggs among fine plants and does not guard them. Breeding it is moderately difficult.

Good to know

Kuehne's white cloud minnow belongs to the white cloud family, Tanichthyidae. It was described in 2019 from fish that had reached the hobby a decade earlier as an undescribed Vietnamese white cloud. It differs from its relatives in the width and placement of its side stripe and the white and black edging on its fins.

In the wild

Kuehne's white cloud minnow comes from cool, clear hill streams in the Bach Ma mountains of central Vietnam. It lives among plants and leaf litter in gently flowing water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Kuehne's 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.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Kuehne's white cloud minnow need?

A Kuehne's white cloud minnow needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Kuehne's white cloud minnow need?

A Kuehne's white cloud minnow is comfortable at 64–75°F (18–24°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Kuehne's white cloud minnow eat?

A Kuehne's white cloud minnow eats small foods it can manage, such as fine flake and crushed micro pellets. Small frozen foods such as daphnia and cyclops suit it too.

How big does a Kuehne's white cloud minnow get?

An adult Kuehne's white cloud minnow reaches about 1.5 in (3.7 cm).

Does a Kuehne's white cloud minnow need a group?

Yes. A Kuehne's white cloud minnow is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a Kuehne's white cloud minnow breed?

Kuehne's white cloud minnows scatter their eggs among fine plants and do not guard them. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Related species