Long-Finned White Cloud Mountain Minnow (Tanichthys albonubes var. long fin)

Imported from Ukraine! The white cloud mountain minnow was originally collected by a Chinese boy scout leader, after whom the genus “Tanichthys” was named. The species name albonubes roughly translates to white cloud, after the location it was first collected, namely White Cloud Mountain. These gorgeous fish range from pale yellow to a dark blue on the body, and they have a bright blue lateral line, bordered by a pinkish line right above. The dorsal fin is bright red whereas the anal fin is bright yellow, and both are edged by a bright white. The tail fin has a bright red blotch at the attachment point of the caudal peduncle, which washes out to nearly clear lobes. Most specimens can also get red lips and mouths, although it is much more prevalent in males than females. Reaching about 1½ inches in length, our fish are nearly fully grown and you can expect them to not grow too much, although they will color up immensely in your tank!

These fish are not very fussy about the water parameters in your aquarium, nor do they seem to care too much about decorations or plants, although both of the latter do help them feel more comfortable and color up better. These fish do seem to be healthier in cooler, more oxygenated water that is flowing at a decent clip, although these ones have long fins which do weigh them down a bit, so do not have flow too high. In the wild they are typically found in water that is fairly soft and neutral to slightly acidic in ph, but these fish have been bred for quite a few generations in captivity, and are not picky about it at all. Air driven sponge filtration might be a great idea for these fish, as they always appreciate additional oxygenation.

There are endless choices for tankmates for these extremely peaceful fish, since they are not too large and do not bother anybody. Because this is the long fin variant, do not keep them with anything that is too fast and aggressive, as you’ll see their fins get nipped, and when enough of this happens it is a likely zone for secondary bacterial infection, and their larger fins inhibit these fish from escaping the faster predators. Alternatively, you could keep them by themselves, since this species is known to be one of the best beginner fish to spawn that isn’t a guppy. These fish scatter their eggs, but do not eat their fry, so as long as you provide decent cover and feed adequately, you should see multiple generations of little fry pop out whenever you do your routine maintenance. These shoaling fish do not ship individually bagged.

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