Thac Ba minnow

Tanichthys thacbaensis

Also known as Thac Ba white cloud

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–75°F (18–24°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 1.4 in (3.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Thac Ba lake region, northern Vietnam
Family: Tanichthyidae

Overview

Keep this cool-water minnow the way you would any white cloud: in a lively group of eight or more, in the middle and upper levels of an unheated tank. A proper school keeps the fish confident and brings out the low sparring displays between males. Pair it only with small, gentle companions that will not bully it or strip the food before it feeds. Small flake, crushed pellets, and fine frozen foods such as daphnia and brine shrimp suit its little mouth. A planted tank of about 54 litres or larger, with gentle flow and open water above the plants, is enough for a starter group.

In the wild

It is tied to the Thac Ba lake region of northern Vietnam, cool subtropical water where hill streams meet the reservoir country. Aim for an unheated tank around 18 to 24 degrees Celsius with soft, slightly acidic to neutral water of pH 6.0 to 7.5. Plenty of plants, some leaf litter, and a steady, gentle current mimic the margins it lives along.

Good to know

A member of the white cloud family, Tanichthyidae, it grows to around 3.5 cm. It was formally described in 2001, one of the first Vietnamese fish added to a genus that had long seemed exclusively Chinese. Like its relatives it is an egg scattering species of moderate breeding difficulty, laying among fine-leaved plants without parental care.

Did you know

It is one of the least documented fish in the trade. The species was named from specimens taken before its home waters were flooded by the Thac Ba reservoir, its original description is written in Vietnamese with only a line drawing, and photographs of living wild fish are still hard to come by.