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Encyclopedia / Goldfish & Coldwater / White cloud mountain minnow
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Variations

3 kinds · tap one for a closer look

White cloud mountain minnow

Tanichthys albonubes · White cloud, Wcmm, Cloud minnow

Peaceful, hardy shoaler for unheated tanks.

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4 cmAdult size ✓
14–22 °CTemperature ✓
6.5–8pH ✓
54 LSmallest tank ✓
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Cardinal tetra is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (14–22 °C vs 23–29 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Serpae tetra is tropical.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while X-ray tetra is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (14–22 °C vs 24–28 °C). No setting suits both.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 21–22 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 21–22 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

138 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓5–20 dGH
Group size ✓10 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Top
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 2–3 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful, hardy shoaler for unheated tanks.

Food

Flakes, small pellets.

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Male or female

Males are slimmer and more colourful; mature females are rounder-bellied and often a little larger.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Easy

Easy, continuous egg scatterer with no parental care; adults eat eggs, so remove them after 2-3 days.

Pairing

Buy 6 or more; they pair up easily. Room temperature water is fine.

Setup

20 L tank with a mop or java moss and a sponge filter.

What starts it

Rising temperature and good feeding.

Eggs

Eggs hatch in 48-60 hours; fry need infusoria-grade food once free-swimming. No egg count found.

Raising the fry

Feed infusoria or liquid food, then baby brine shrimp. Fry are hardy and grow fast.

Common mistakes
  • Overfeeding
  • No cover for eggs
  • Leaving small fry with adults
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSouthern China (Guangdong) and northern Vietnam
Rivers and lakesBaiyun Shan (White Cloud Mountain) streams near Guangzhou
HabitatCool, clear mountain streams
Native rangeAbout 250 km across
See it on the world map

Plants that suit it

AnacharisMarimo moss ball

The story of the white cloud mountain minnow

Discovered on White Cloud Mountain (Baiyun Shan) near Guangzhou, China, in 1932 by scout leader Tan Kam Fei, after whom the genus is named; the species name means 'white cloud'. A cool-water fish (14-22 °C) that needs no heater in a room-temperature home. It has since vanished from White Cloud Mountain itself.

Chinese ichthyologist Lin Shu-Yen described this fish in 1932 from White Cloud Mountain near Guangzhou, naming the genus after Tan Kam Fei, who collected it. It became popular as a cool-water 'poor man's neon'. Wild populations dwindled, but captive-bred fish are everywhere.

First described by Shu-Yen Lin in 1932. Named for Genus named after Tan Kam Fei, who found the fish.

  • It is happy in unheated tanks.
  • It was once nicknamed the 'poor man's neon'.
  • Wild populations are rare, but captive-bred fish are very common.

Sources

17 facts checked with sources