Home / Fishes / Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches / Tanichthyidae / White Cloud Mountain minnow
No federal permit to keepWhite Cloud Mountain minnow
Tanichthys albonubes
Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Tanichthyidae (White cloud mountain minnows)
The White Cloud Mountain minnow (Tanichthys albonubes) is a hardy species of freshwater fish and coldwater fish often kept in an aquarium.
Care at a glance
Species-specific values
Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.
| Water temperature | 57–72 °F (14–22 °C) Maintenance recommendations from this source; do not replace with a multisource average. | 263 |
| Water pH | 6–8.5 Maintenance recommendations from this source; do not replace with a multisource average. | 263 |
| Water general hardness | 5–20 dGH Maintenance recommendations from this source; do not replace with a multisource average. | 263 |
| Adult standard length | 40 mm Maximum standard length reported by source; excludes caudal fin, not total body length. | 263 |
| Minimum tank base | length: 60 cm; width: 30 cm Minimum aquarium base recommended by this source, not a tank-volume specification. | 263 |
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 0.8 in / 2.1 cm; the largest recorded was 1.6 in).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 64–72°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6–8.
- Hardness: 5–19 dGH.
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
- Diet: A grazer on plants and algae: base the diet on vegetable foods (algae wafers, blanched vegetables, spirulina). FishBase classes it as a omnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 24 × 12 in (roughly 14 US gallons); space needed is rated “modest tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 57–72 °F, pH 6–8.5, 5–20 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament peaceful; a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; suited to a community tank.
- Difficulty: Easy (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Choice of décor is not especially critical though it tends to show better colouration in a heavily-planted set-up with a dark substrate.”
- Diet: “Stomach analyses of wild specimens have revealed it to be a micropredator feeding on small insects, worms, crustaceans and other zooplankton.”
- Tankmates: “Very peaceful indeed and an ideal resident of a well-maintained community set-up provided its temperature requirements are considered.”
- Breeding: “Like many small cyprinids this species is an egg-scattering, continuous spawner that exhibits no parental care.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Fishes
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Varies. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Cycle the aquarium before adding fish so beneficial bacteria can handle ammonia and nitrite.
- Size filtration and partial water changes to stocking and measured water quality. Topping up evaporated water does not replace a water change; treat incoming tap water appropriately.
- Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH regularly.
Diet
- A varied diet of quality prepared foods plus frozen or live foods suited to the species; feed only what's eaten in a few minutes.
Health watch
- Quarantine new fish for at least 30 days; longer may be needed. Use a separate system and dedicated nets, buckets and siphons.
- Never release aquarium fish or plants into the wild.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
The species was considered to be a member of the carp family (family Cyprinidae) of the order Cypriniformes, although now it is placed in the family Tanichthyidae. This species is native to China.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “White Cloud Mountain minnow” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams. Stays near the bottom. Found in clean, sluggish coastal stream amongst hydrophytes. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 64–72 °F (18–22 °C), pH 6–8, hardness 5–19 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Grazing on aquatic plants. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: open water/substratum egg scatterers. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 64–72 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 85°F (up to 91°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 48°F (down to 35°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 55–72°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 72–76% on average (driest month about 66%) |
| Rainfall | about 1506 mm a year |
Measured at 21 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The White Cloud Mountain minnow (Tanichthys albonubes) is a hardy species of freshwater fish and coldwater fish often kept in an aquarium. The species was considered to be a member of the carp family (family Cyprinidae) of the order Cypriniformes, although now it is placed in the family Tanichthyidae. This species is native to China. The White Cloud Mountain minnow is practically extinct in its native habitat, due to pollution and tourism. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Wild diet | The White Cloud Mountain minnow is an opportunistic omnivore. It will commonly feed on a variety of aquatic plants and insect larvae. They particularly relish mosquito and shrimp. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Reproduction | White Clouds are easy to breed and are recommended for novice breeders. They may be conditioned for breeding with live foods such as brine shrimp and daphnia. The minnows should be placed in a small tank with a spawning mop or some java moss. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Appearance and size | This species grows to approximately 4 cm) in overall length, and is silver-green in color with a bright red caudal and dorsal fin. Several varieties have been developed through the fish's domestication, one with bright light edges to the dorsal and anal fins and one with red edges to those fins. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Adults are found in clean, sluggish coastal stream amongst hydrophytes. They can survive in water temperature as low as 5°C. They feed on zooplankton and detritus. Migratory behaviour is undetermined. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Common length to maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 24 × 12 in (about 14 US gallons).
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Deep genome-wide divergences among species in White Cloud Mountain minnow Tanichthys albonubes (Cypriniformes: Tanichthyidae) complex: Conservation and species management implications Li C et al., Molecular phylogenetics and evolution 2023
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.