White Cloud Minnow

White cloud minnows are popular and hardy schooling fish found throughout the global aquatic community. Unfortunately, these fish may be extinct in the wild. Like many Asian species, white clouds are kept in existence by our hobby alone. The fish was discovered on White Cloud Mountain in China during a scouting trip by a Boy Scout named Tan, hence the scientific name Tanichthys. White clouds are hardy, handle a wide range of temperatures and eat flake food.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Give them plants and gentle filtration. These are cool-water fish that do fine at room temperature, and they also do well in outdoor ponds and patio tubs in warm months. Keep a lid on the tank.

Feeding: Feed a quality flake or small pellet once or twice a day, only as much as they eat in a couple of minutes. They also enjoy frozen foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Tankmates: They get along with other small, peaceful fish like ricefish, danios, small rasboras, and dwarf shrimp, and can share an unheated tank with other cool-water species. Avoid large fish (including goldfish) that may eat them.

Good to know: White clouds have been kept in aquariums since the 1930s and are one of the hardiest small fish in the hobby. Males show the brightest color when they display to each other.