Vietnamese white cloud

Tanichthys micagemmae

Also known as Vietnamese cardinal minnow

FreshwaterFish

Vietnamese white cloud (Tanichthys micagemmae) — Andrew Bogott · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–73°F (18–23°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 1.2 in (3 cm)
Minimum tank: 12 gal (45 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Beginner
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Common
Origin: Bến Hải / Bến Hai river system, north-central Vietnam (Quảng Bình and Quảng Trị provinces)
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep them in a group of at least six, ideally eight to ten or more, in a tank of 45 liters or larger, where a proper school stays calm and colors up well. They are peaceful and swim in the middle of the water column. Males display to each other now and then, but it stays harmless. This is a cool water fish that runs from 18 to 23 C and does not want a heater in most rooms, so pair it only with other subtropical or cool water species rather than tropical fish that need 25 C and up. Keep the water soft to neutral, with a pH from 6.5 to 7.5, and feed small flakes, micro pellets, and frozen treats like daphnia or baby brine. Do not release unwanted fish into local waterways, and check your local rules before keeping or rehoming them.

In the wild

Vietnamese white clouds come from the Bến Hải river system in north-central Vietnam, in the Quảng Bình and Quảng Trị provinces. These are cool, clear hill streams with some current and plenty of plant growth. To match that, give them a densely planted tank of 45 liters or up with soft to neutral water and a gentle current from the filter or a small powerhead. They keep their best color over a darker layout with room to swim in the middle of the tank.

Good to know

This is a small cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae, a close relative of the white cloud mountain minnow, and it tops out around 3 cm. It is an egg scatterer with no parental care. In a mature, well planted tank fry often turn up on their own, since the adults rarely hunt down eggs or young when cover is thick.

Did you know

It went undescribed by science until 2001, decades after its famous cousin the white cloud mountain minnow, and it carries a bright gem-like spot of color on the body that gives the species name micagemmae, roughly a sparkling gem. In a settled tank a small shoal often produces fry quietly in the plants without any help from the keeper.