Tropical Fish Hobbyist - September 2008

I’d say the white cloud Tanichthys albonubes is just about the perfect fish for your needs. Adapted to life in cool mountain streams, white clouds will readily thrive without a heater in the temperature range at which you keep your home. These fish are also a great choice for garden ponds and container water gardens where they’ll feast on mosquito larvae. And because they can tolerate fairly low water temperatures, hobbyists living in regions with colder winters can put them out relatively early in the spring, then bring them back indoors later in the fall.

White clouds are very easy to feed, accepting virtually all standard aquarium fare suitable for omnivorous species, and they are about as resilient as aquarium fish can get. In my humble opinion, a school of these fish is every bit as attractive as a school of neon or cardinal tetras, even though these fish were once disparagingly referred to as the “poor man’s neon tetra.” To top it all off, white clouds are probably the easiest egglayers to breed. Offer them nutritious foods, keep their tank well maintained, and they will almost assuredly reward you with fry.

A

MP. & C. Piednoir

The White Cloud Mountain minnow Tanichthys albonubes is a hardy fish that thrives in lower temperatures, making it a good choice for seasonal outdoor water gardens in temperate climates.