TankBud

Thac Ba minnow

Tanichthys thacbaensis

Also known as Thac Ba white cloud

FreshwaterFish

Thac Ba minnow (Tanichthys thacbaensis)

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
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Tanichthyidae
Origin
Thac Ba lake region, northern Vietnam

Overview

The Thac Ba minnow is a small, cool-water white cloud for a peaceful, unheated community tank. It is a good first fish.

Did you know

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

Caring for the Thac Ba minnow

Keep Thac Ba minnows the way you would any white cloud, in a lively group of eight or more. A proper school keeps them confident and brings out the low sparring displays between males. They use the middle and upper levels of the tank.

A planted tank of 14 gal (54 L) or larger is enough for a starter group. Give them open water above the plants, some leaf litter and a steady, gentle current. Leave the tank unheated, at 64 to 75°F (18 to 24°C), with soft, slightly acidic to neutral water at pH 6.0 to 7.5.

Small flake, crushed pellets and fine frozen foods such as daphnia and brine shrimp suit their little mouths. They are peaceful, so pair them only with small, gentle companions that will not bully them or strip the food before they feed.

Like their relatives, Thac Ba minnows scatter their eggs among fine-leaved plants and give no parental care. Breeding them is of moderate difficulty.

Good to know

The Thac Ba minnow is a member of the white cloud family, Tanichthyidae. It was formally described in 2001, one of the first Vietnamese fish added to a genus that had long seemed exclusively Chinese.

In the wild

The Thac Ba minnow is tied to the Thac Ba lake region of northern Vietnam. It lives along the margins of cool subtropical water, where hill streams meet the reservoir country.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Thac Ba 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 Thac Ba minnow need?

A Thac Ba minnow needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Thac Ba minnow need?

A Thac Ba minnow is comfortable at 64–75°F (18–24°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Thac Ba minnow eat?

A Thac Ba minnow eats small flake, crushed pellets and fine frozen foods such as daphnia and brine shrimp. Its food needs to be small enough for its little mouth.

How big does a Thac Ba minnow get?

An adult Thac Ba minnow reaches about 1.4 in (3.5 cm).

Does a Thac Ba minnow need a group?

Yes. A Thac Ba minnow is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a Thac Ba minnow breed?

Thac Ba minnows scatter their eggs among fine-leaved plants and give no parental care. Breeding them is of moderate difficulty.

Related species