White Cloud Mountain minnow

Tanichthys albonubes

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 57–72°F (14–22°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 1.6 in (4 cm)
Minimum tank: 12 gal (45 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Beginner
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Very common
Origin: China
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep a school of at least six, since a tight group looks and behaves best. They are active swimmers that hold in the middle and upper water. They are peaceful and undemanding, eating flake, micro pellets, and small frozen foods like daphnia and brine shrimp. A 45 liter tank suits a small school, and they do well in unheated setups as long as the room stays cool.

In the wild

This minnow comes from cool, clear mountain streams in Guangdong, China, near White Cloud Mountain. Those streams run cooler than most tropical fish like, so it does not need a heater in many homes. Aim for temperatures from the mid teens up to about 22 C, with soft, slightly acidic to neutral water and some plants and current.

Good to know

It is a small cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae, reaching about 4 cm. It is hardy and tolerates cooler water better than most community fish. It spawns by scattering eggs among plants with no parental care, and breeding is easy. It was once feared extinct in the wild and has been listed as threatened due to habitat loss, even though it is extremely common in the hobby.

Did you know

The genus name Tanichthys means Tan's fish, after Tan Kam Fei, who is credited with bringing the species to attention in the 1930s. For decades it was thought to be gone from the wild, until small populations turned up again, even while it remained one of the most common fish in the aquarium trade.