Long Fin White Cloud Mountain Minnow

Long Fin White Cloud Mountain Minnow (Tanichthys albonubes) is the longfin form of the classic White Cloud — the standard silver-and-red coloration with standard iridescent stripe, but with dramatically extended, flowing dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. Also called the Meteor Minnow, the flowing fins billow gracefully as the fish moves through the water, adding considerable elegance to an already attractive fish. The fins are most impressive in males.

Feeding & Care Tip: Hikari Micro Pellets (crushed or soaked briefly) and Sera Vipan Baby make excellent daily staples for these small-mouthed fish. Supplement 2–3× per week with Hikari Frozen or Freeze-Dried Baby Brine Shrimp and Hikari Frozen Daphnia. Feed small amounts 2–3 times daily. Their cool-water preference means a heater is often unnecessary — standard room temperature suits them well in most homes.

Tanichthys albonubes has a remarkable and poignant conservation story. The species was first collected in 1932 by Chinese boy scout leader Tan Kam Fei on White Cloud Mountain (Baiyun Shan) near Guangzhou — the genus name Tanichthys honors him directly. The fish entered the hobby quickly and became enormously popular. By the 1980s however, pollution and habitat destruction had caused the wild population to collapse, and the species was declared extinct in its type locality. Remarkably, in 2007 a new population was discovered on Hainan Island — far from the original locality — giving the species a second chance. All aquarium stock is captive-bred.

Keep in groups of at least eight — White Cloud Mountain Minnows are social schooling fish that display their best coloration and most active behavior in numbers. Males develop more vivid red fin coloration and compete with each other in gentle displays — a group with multiple males is more dynamic and colorful than one without. Compatible with virtually all small, peaceful species. Their cool-water tolerance makes them ideal companions for temperate fish like hillstream loaches, weather loaches, and similar cool-water species.

White Cloud Mountain Minnows are prolific egg-scatterers. The longfin form requires particularly clean water and very gentle filtration — strong currents damage the extended fins over time, and fin quality is the first sign of poor water conditions. Avoid fin-nipping tankmates. Otherwise all care is identical to the standard form.

Care & Ideal Parameters