Bring vibrant color and energetic movement to your freshwater setup with the Vietnamese Cardinal White Cloud Danio (Tanichthys micagemmae). Often called the Vietnamese White Cloud Mountain Minnow or Vietnamese Cardinal Mountain Minnow, this brilliant micro-fish features iridescent blue-silver body striping framed by deep cardinal red fins. Smaller and more vibrant than the standard White Cloud Mountain Minnow, these active nano fish are a top choice for aquascapers, planted tank enthusiasts, and aquarists seeking peaceful community fish.

Origin & Natural Habitat

Native to the fast-flowing, clean, cool streams of central Vietnam (specifically the Bến Hải River basin), the Vietnamese Cardinal White Cloud Danio thrives in shallow, clear waters over sand and gravel substrates surrounded by dense aquatic vegetation and overhanging foliage.

Care Level & Parameters

• Care Level: Easy (Beginner-Friendly)

• Temperament: Peaceful schooling fish

• Water Temperature: 68°F – 75°F (20°C – 24°C) — Thrives in room temperature or unheated tanks

• pH Range: 6.0 – 7.5

• Water Hardness: 2 – 10 dGH

• Max Size: ~1 inch (2.5 cm)

Minimum Tank Size

A minimum tank size of 10 gallons is recommended. Because these are active, tight-schooling micro-fish, they should be kept in groups of 6 to 8 or more. Keeping them in a proper school reduces stress, encourages natural behavior, and causes males to display their most intense, vibrant colors while flaring fins at one another.

Tank Environment & Aquascaping

To replicate their natural Asian stream habitat, decorate your aquarium with fine substrate, driftwood, and smooth river stones. Vietnamese White Cloud Danios look best against a dark substrate in a densely planted aquarium with species like Java Fern, Anubias, Hornwort, and floating plants. A moderate water flow created by a gentle filter or powerhead helps mimic their native fast-moving streams while keeping water oxygen levels high.

Feeding & Diet

As micro-predators and omnivores, these minnows are exceptionally easy to feed. Offer a varied diet of high-quality micro granules, crushed flake food, and small sinking pellets. To enhance their natural red and neon coloration, supplement their regular diet with small live or frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia, and cyclops.

Best Tank Mates

The Vietnamese Cardinal White Cloud Danio is an exceptionally peaceful nano fish, making it an ideal candidate for community tanks and shrimp tanks. Outstanding tank mates include:

• Other Nano Fish: Celestial Pearl Danios, Chili Rasboras, Neon Tetras, Ember Tetras, and Glowlight Danios.

• Bottom Dwellers: Pygmy Corydoras, Otocinclus, and Hillstream Loaches.

• Invertebrates: Cherry Shrimp, Crystal Red Shrimp, Amano Shrimp, and Nerite Snails.

• Avoid large or aggressive fish (like Cichlids or larger Gouramis) that could mistake these small minnows for food.

Breeding

Breeding Vietnamese White Cloud Danios is straightforward, making them a great project for beginners. They are egg scatterers that spawn readily in mature planted aquariums. Provide fine-leaved plants like Java Moss or spawning mops for eggs to adhere to. For higher fry yields, place a breeding pair or small group in a separate spawning tank with low light and gentle sponge filtration. Remove adult fish after spawning to prevent them from eating the eggs. Fry hatch in 48–72 hours and can be fed infusoria or liquid fry food until large enough for free-swimming on free-hatched baby brine shrimp.

PLEASE READ BEFORE ORDERING

• The photos shown on fish product pages are representations of adult fish and are NOT the actual fish that you will be receiving. 
• Please visit our “Ordering/Shipping fish” page prior to checking out to familiarize yourself with our process.
• We ship fish exclusively using overnight shipping with either FedEx or UPS. We will not ship fish with lesser expensive shipping services like “Ground” or “Priority Mail”. This is to ensure the safety of the fish.
• Unless specified, all fish are sold as unsexed.