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white cloud mountain minnows2007-11-24 23:43:04

how big are these fish?what kind of water does it live in? is caring for these fish easy? or medium level?

Answers:

They get about 1-1.5 inches. They are pretty hardy and can live in a cold water aquarium (one that doesn't have a heater). I have a couple in my tropical tank and they also do fine in the warmer temps. There is a golden variety which is really pretty (it's what I have). They're nice little fish and easy to care for, good community fish.

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The White Cloud Mountain minnow (Tanichthys albonubes) is a very hardy species of freshwater aquarium fish. It is a member of the carp family (family Cyprinidae) of order Cypriniformes, native to China and Vietnam.

The species was discovered at White Cloud Mountain (鐧介洸灞? Pinyin B谩i Y煤n Sh膩n) in Gu菐ngd艒ng in the 1930s by a Boy Scout leader called Tan鈥攈ence the generic name Tanichthys ("Tan's fish"). The specific name albonubes is from the Latin alba nubes (white cloud).

This species grows to approximately 4 cm (roughly 1.5 in) in overall length, and is silver-green in color, with brilliant red dorsal and caudal fins. The dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins are edged in yellow or white. Sexual dimorphism is slight, the male generally possessing more brilliant coloration and having a slightly slimmer body.

T. albonubes

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T. albonubes

The fish are sold in the aquarium trade under a variety of similar names, including White Cloud, White Cloud Mountain fish, White Cloud minnow, etc. The names Canton or China danio (although it is not actually a danio, scientifically speaking) and cardinal fish are also encountered. In Chinese the fish is known as 鍞愰瓪 (t谩ng w茅n), 寤ｆ澅绱伴 (Gu菐ngd艒ng x矛j矛), or 娼樻皬绱伴 (p膩nsh矛 x矛j矛). Aphyocypris pooni is an obsolete synonym for this species; it was coined to designate a color variety which is now known to be the same species as the White Cloud Mountain Minnow.