# White Cloud Mountain minnows



## Helenai (Aug 7, 2021)

Hi 👋 
I am new here and this is my first post so thank you for reading 🙂
I am currently cycling a 40g (165L) and I am thinking I would like to stock it with 12 WCMM, 8-10 c.habrosus and 8 otos 😊 
I will be adding them over several months in that order.
Would this make a nice tank?
Any advice on stocking levels ?


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## ustabefast (Jan 24, 2017)

Sounds like a good plan, as all fishes would get along great.
You could even go with more white clouds or habrosus, but modest stocking levels are not a bad idea, especially with a new tank.
Otos are always a challenge to keep alive, however, without supplemental feeding.
What are your aquarium dimensions? It looks rather tall for a standard 40 gallon.


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## Helenai (Aug 7, 2021)

ustabefast said:


> Sounds like a good plan, as all fishes would get along great.
> You could even go with more white clouds or habrosus, but modest stocking levels are not a bad idea, especially with a new tank.
> Otos are always a challenge to keep alive, however, without supplemental feeding.
> What are your aquarium dimensions? It looks rather tall for a standard 40 gallon.


Thank you for the reply!
It is an aquastyle 850 that I picked up second hand. The measurements are approx 84cm x 44cm x45cm. It has a big top as the filter is housed inside and I don’t think the photo makes it look quite right as it has curved glass at the front. Does that make sense?

I have otos at the mo but only 4 in a 65L with 5 Hara Jerdoni. They are fat and happy and eat veg and hikari algae wafers and bacter AE . I grow algae rocks for them too 😃 I want to get more otos hence the bigger tank and I thought that the c.habrosus would keep them company. And I really like WCMM 😁



Helenai said:


> Thank you for the reply!
> It is an aquastyle 850 that I picked up second hand. The measurements are approx 84cm x 44cm x45cm. It has a big top as the filter is housed inside and I don’t think the photo makes it look quite right as it has curved glass at the front. Does that make sense?
> 
> I have otos at the mo but only 4 in a 65L with 5 Hara Jerdoni. They are fat and happy and eat veg and hikari algae wafers and bacter AE . I grow algae rocks for them too 😃 I want to get more otos hence the bigger tank and I thought that the c.habrosus would keep them company. And I really like WCMM 😁


That’s 84cm long x44cm width x 45cm high ( tank only not including top)


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## Melina1020 (Aug 8, 2021)

WCMMs are super hardy and interesting! I got 6 in my LFS thinking they can be nice roommates for my betta. Then after seeing my betta chasing the little guys I moved them to a new tank. Then a month later I found tiny babies clinging on tank glass and now I have at least 50 little fishies in total. Super cute.


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## Helenai (Aug 7, 2021)

Melina1020 said:


> WCMMs are super hardy and interesting! I got 6 in my LFS thinking they can be nice roommates for my betta. Then after seeing my betta chasing the little guys I moved them to a new tank. Then a month later I found tiny babies clinging on tank glass and now I have at least 50 little fishies in total. Super cute.


Wow! That’s a lot of little fishies 😂 I will just get a few to start off with then 😁 just waiting for my tank to be properly cycled and I will be off to my LFS for some 🙂


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## Melina1020 (Aug 8, 2021)

Helenai said:


> Wow! That’s a lot of little fishies 😂 I will just get a few to start off with then 😁 just waiting for my tank to be properly cycled and I will be off to my LFS for some 🙂


Make sure you get at least 5 or 6 though because they are schooling fish. Good luck, have fun😊


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## Helenai (Aug 7, 2021)

Melina1020 said:


> Make sure you get at least 5 or 6 though because they are schooling fish. Good luck, have fun😊


Will definitely get at least that many. Thanks 😊


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Go with the White Clouds. I have 25 of the golden variety in my 33 long and they are awesome. Good personality, hardy, colorful. AND they were super cheap and don't require a heater. I can also keep them with Cherry Shrimp. They are pretty bullet proof. I recommend at least 10-12 of them.


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## Helenai (Aug 7, 2021)

Blackheart said:


> Go with the White Clouds. I have 25 of the golden variety in my 33 long and they are awesome. Good personality, hardy, colorful. AND they were super cheap and don't require a heater. I can also keep them with Cherry Shrimp. They are pretty bullet proof. I recommend at least 10-12 of them.


Many thanks 😊
I am definitely getting some. 🙂 my tank is almost cycled …nitrites are dropping and nitrates rising 😁


Blackheart said:


> Go with the White Clouds. I have 25 of the golden variety in my 33 long and they are awesome. Good personality, hardy, colorful. AND they were super cheap and don't require a heater. I can also keep them with Cherry Shrimp. They are pretty bullet proof. I recommend at least 10-12 of them.


love your tank btw 😊


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Thanks! Good luck with them! They are great fish.


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## Helenai (Aug 7, 2021)

Blackheart said:


> Thanks! Good luck with them! They are great fish.


Re jigged my tank a little. Cycle all finished! Just doing a final test today and if the ammonia has been cycled by tomorrow morning , it’s water change and LFS here I come for a little batch of WCMM!


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## Blue Ridge Reef (Feb 10, 2008)

I've been keeping (and therefore breeding) WCMM for a good 20 years. My biggest advice for long lives is to keep them on the cool side with ample water flow. They are from higher elevations in China and a temperate fish, not a tropical one. They can survive just about anything a fish can, but cool and flowing seem to bring out the best in them. I've been breeding a group for the reddest color and finnage I can get for over 10 years now. If you don't have other fish in with them and keep the filter intakes covered, lots of babies will survive without special treatment.


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## Helenai (Aug 7, 2021)

Blue Ridge Reef said:


> I've been keeping (and therefore breeding) WCMM for a good 20 years. My biggest advice for long lives is to keep them on the cool side with ample water flow. They are from higher elevations in China and a temperate fish, not a tropical one. They can survive just about anything a fish can, but cool and flowing seem to bring out the best in them. I've been breeding a group for the reddest color and finnage I can get for over 10 years now. If you don't have other fish in with them and keep the filter intakes covered, lots of babies will survive without special treatment.


Thank you for your reply.
Those are an amazing red ! 20 years is a long time to be keeping WCMM . You must know just about everything there is to know about them 🙂
I am planning to keep them at 20-22C which is the temp of unheated water in my tank currently. I am guessing it will drop a few degrees at night and in the winter it will be a little lower as we don’t run the heating at night. 
I have put a large 30ppi sponge on the intake strainer 😁 an improvement on stockings 😁
The tank came with a filter built into the hood and seems to give a decent flow with a little plumbing adaption 😊
I am going to keep a few otocinclus with them as I already have some in a smaller tank and maybe few dwarf or Pygmy corydoras.


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