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Freshwater · Intermediate
Goldfish
Carassius auratus
Goldfish are coldwater carp, not bowl ornaments. Fancy strains need tens of gallons and strong filtration; single-tail commons belong in very large tanks or ponds.
Min. tank: 30 gal
Care notes →
Photo: Nicklas Iversen / Corydoras-adolfoi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Freshwater · Beginner · 10+ gal
White cloud mountain minnow
Tanichthys albonubes
White cloud mountain minnows (Tanichthys albonubes) are small, hardy coolwater schoolers. Adults reach about 1.5 inches. Plan a group of 6+ in a 10–20 gallon. Best color and lifespan around 64–72°F, often without a heater in a cool room.
| Water type | Freshwater |
|---|---|
| Care level | Beginner |
| Minimum tank | 10 gallons |
| Temperament | Peaceful, active schooler. Keep six or more. They stay mid-to-upper water and ignore most calm tank mates when the temperature is right for both sides. |
| Diet | Omnivore. Quality flake or micro pellet as a staple, plus small frozen foods a few times a week. Portions they finish in a couple of minutes. |
| Temperature | 64–72 °F |
| pH | 6–8 |
| Hardness / salinity | Soft to moderately hard. They are flexible on GH and pH if changes are slow. Temperature is the parameter that actually decides tank mates. |
Coolwater schooler, not a coldwater neon
Tanichthys albonubes comes from cool hill streams in southern China. Adults sit around 1.5 inches with a bright lateral stripe and reddish fins on the wild type. Long-fin meteor morphs exist in shops; care is the same, but this page is about the classic fish.
Six or more is a school. Fewer and they stay twitchy. A 10-gallon works for a dedicated group. A 20-gallon gives more swimming room and room for plants. They are not zebra danios with a different stripe, danios tolerate a wider tropical band and swim harder; white clouds want the cooler end of the dial.
When you can skip the heater
Best color and lifespan land roughly 64–72°F (about 18–22°C). In a room that stays near 68–70°F, many keepers run them with no heater at all. Put a thermometer on the glass and believe that reading, not the vibe of the room.
If winter nights drop the tank below about 64°F, a small adjustable heater set low is insurance, not a tropical dial cranked to 78. Do not park them in a heated guppy or neon tank long-term. They fade and live shorter when you force tropical temps for tank-mate convenience.
Tank mates and food
Match temperature first. Neons, cardinals, guppies, and bettas want warmer water than white clouds prefer. Goldfish will eat them. Adult cherry shrimp can share a cool planted 10 or 20. A lid is smart; they can jump when startled.
Flake or micro pellet works if they finish it. Add frozen brine or daphnia a few times a week. Overfeeding is still how a hardy tank goes cloudy. For when you do need heat, see the aquarium heater page; for weekly water work, dose a chloramine-capable conditioner into the new water.
Tank mates
- Other coolwater white clouds in a school of 6+
- Cherry shrimp adults in a cool planted tank
- Skip long-term mixes with neons, guppies, bettas, and cardinals. Those tanks run too warm
- Skip goldfish: they will eat a 1.5-inch minnow
- Skip heated 78°F tropical communities if you care about color and lifespan
Gear for this fish
A few listings we would open for this species. Skip anything you already own that still works.
Hikari Micro Pellets, 1.58 oz
Small mouths and midwater feeding. Micro pellets sink slowly enough for a white cloud school without turning into gravel mulm as fast as a flake blizzard.
Feed what they finish in a couple of minutes. Frozen brine or daphnia a few times a week still helps. Skip a second staple if a quality flake already disappears cleanly.
See this listingPAIZOO stick-on digital thermometer
Unheated coolwater tanks live or die on the actual number. A stick-on thermometer tells you whether the room is really holding 68°F overnight.
Place it below the water line, away from any heater tube you add later. Skip smart Wi-Fi gadgets. Same listing we open on the heater page.
See this listingAqueon Adjustable Pro heater, 50W
Insurance for a 10-gallon when winter nights drop the tank under about 64°F. Set it low; you are holding a cool floor, not running a tropical 78°F community.
Skip this if a thermometer already shows stable mid-to-high 60s year-round. Do not mix white clouds into a tank that needs this heater cranked for guppies. Confirm 50W for a 10; a warm room may not need it at all.
See this listing
Frequently asked questions
Do white cloud mountain minnows need a heater?+
Often no, if the room keeps the tank around 64–72°F. Use a thermometer. Add a small heater only when nights dip below that floor.
How many white clouds should I keep?+
At least six. A real school looks better and keeps them calmer than a lonely pair.
Can I keep white clouds with neon tetras or guppies?+
Not as a long-term mix if you care about both species. Those fish want warmer water. Pick one temperature lane.
What size tank for white cloud mountain minnows?+
A 10-gallon holds a school of six. A 20-gallon is kinder and leaves room for plants or shrimp.
Related species
Freshwater · Beginner
Zebra danio
Danio rerio
Zebra danios are hardy, fast-swimming beginners that want a school of six or more. Ten gallons is a tight floor. A 20-gallon long gives them the horizontal lane they actually use.
Min. tank: 10 gal
Care notes →
Freshwater · Beginner
Cherry shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) are beginner invertebrates if the tank is cycled and copper-free. A starter colony of 10+ needs about 5 gallons; 10 gallons is easier. They need minerals for molting, not a second fish-page clone.
Min. tank: 5 gal
Care notes →