Cloud minnow fish are common species of fish. They are one of the hardiest species of coldwater and freshwater fish. They are very flexible in their environmental demand and what they eat.
What Do White Cloud Minnow Fish Eat? White cloud minnow fish are not rigid in their food demands. They are typical omnivores that eat diverse food, including frozen, flake, and live foods. They are great insect lovers with a peculiar interest in shrimp, mosquito larvae, and daphnia.
General Description Of White Minnow Fish
You can easily distinguish the white cloud minnow fish from others. They have a typical elongated body with an apparent flat side. A white cloud minnow fish can grow up to 4 cm under appropriate conditions.
Likewise, the male slightly varies from the female in terms of coloration and body size. The ability to distinguish white cloud minnow fish from other species is a plus for aquarium owners.
The color of their body is reddish with a silver tint on the sides, and the fins of this species have different colors. The ventral side of the fish is white, while the dorsal side of the fish varies from olive green to brown.
The head of white cloud minnow fish is relatively smaller when compared to other body proportions. The mouth of the fish usually faces upwards towards the surface of the tank.
The eyes of white cloud minnow fish are of medium size. The eyes also have a slight red tint and also have a silver-colored ring area around the eyes. The males, however, have brighter colors than the females.
White cloud minnow fish often dwells from the middle to the surface of the tank. They rarely stay at the bottom of an aquarium.
Care And Habitat Of White Cloud Minnow Fish
White cloud minnow fish are hardy. They are easy to keep and care for even for beginners. They are neither demanding in their water conditions nor their choice of food.
Nevertheless, white cloud minnow fish can have a hard time dealing with heat, and keeping them at a temperature higher than the regular can shorten their lifespan.
Also, you improve the life span, health, and coloration of your white cloud minnow fish by keeping them under suitable tank conditions. They usually prefer to have darker and more elegant substrates in their tank.
White cloud minnows also love to have vegetation in their tank. They find it pleasurable to have their tank equipped with driftwoods and rocks.
You can also subdue the lighting in the aquarium. This subdued lightning will bring out the proper coloration of the fish. You can also improve their activity by leaving an open space for them to swim actively.
White cloud minnow fish are also flexible when it comes to pH and water hardness. They can cope in a diverse range as long as it is not extreme. Extreme pH and water hardness can otherwise be detrimental to the health of your fish.
As part of preventive measures on the health of your fish, you should avoid introducing copper-containing compounds to your tank. This prevention is because white cloud minnow fish are susceptible to coppers.
In the wild, white cloud minnow fish massively feed on mosquito larvae. But they are also easy prey for larger fishes. They, however, live peacefully with frogs in outdoor ponds.
Other suitable tank members include; Corydoras, Danios, Neons, as well as Red phantom tetras.
Feeding White Cloud Minnow Fish
Feeding white cloud minnow fish is not difficult. This ease is because they are not overly selective in their choice of food. They are typical omnivores; consequently, they feed on a wide range of food options.
Their feeding habits vary slightly from the wild to the aquarium. In the wild, white cloud minnow fish feeds mainly on plant materials and crustaceans. This choice of food provides them with all it takes for proper growth and bright coloration.
Therefore, the best option is to replicate this diet in the aquarium. You can feed your white cloud minnow fish with vegetables, high-quality pellets, and flake foods.
You should, however, be careful when picking the choice of vegetables for your fish. They often prefer zucchini medallions and shelled peas. Similarly, you can also consider a slight variation in their food composition at different times.
For instance, white cloud minnow fish often prefer live and frozen food during the breeding season. These live foods provide them with an adequate supply of protein. Their preferred live foods include brine shrimp, blood worms, and black worms.
Aside from the type of food to feed white cloud minnow fish, you should also pay attention to how often you feed them. Most appropriately, it is best to feed them just about 2-3 times daily. These feeding windows should be at reasonable time intervals.
You must avoid overfeeding your fish. Stuffing them can be detrimental to their health. Sometimes, it can result in some complications which will lead to the death of fishes.
Similarly, it would be best if you fed them with only food proportions that they can finish in a few minutes; likewise, ensure that you get rid of leftover food from the tank as soon as possible.
Conclusion
If you are a beginner aquarist, white cloud minnow fish should be one of your considerations. This choice is because they are hardy and easy to keep.
The white cloud minnow fish are not so demanding in their feeding and environmental requirements. They feed on diverse food, including live and frozen foods and vegetables.
Likewise, feeding them 2-3 times daily in the right food proportion is enough to help them grow properly. Similarly, you can vary their food depending on the health and breeding condition of your fish.
While keeping your white cloud minnow fish with other species, you should know that they don’t compete for food. They will instead feed in food that is leftover by other fish. Thus, they are prone to starvation and stunted growth in a community tank.
Nevertheless, if you properly feed your white cloud minnow fish, they can grow up to 5 cm at maturity.
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