The White Cloud Mountain Minnow will live quite happily in a fairly wide range of water parameters and tank setups. When it comes to temperature the White Cloud Minnow prefers things to be on the cooler side. So do you need a heater in a White Cloud tank?
The ideal temperature range for the White Cloud Mountain Minnow is between 18-22 Degrees Celsius (64-72 Degrees Fahrenheit). Although they can survive temperatures as low as 5 Degrees Celsius (41 Degrees Fahrenheit). So, if kept in an unheated indoor tank White Clouds don’t generally need an aquarium heater. However, a heater may be necessary for other reasons.
There are several reasons why you may need to consider adding a heater to your White Cloud Minnow tank. I’ve gone through these below to help you decide if you need to heat your White Cloud aquarium.
I’ve started off with why White Cloud Mountain Minnows prefer cooler water. It’s interesting and helpful to know. But you can skip that bit if you want to, and move straight on to why you might need to put a heater in your tank.
Why Do White Cloud Mountain Minnows Prefer Cooler Water?
The native habitat for the White Cloud Minnow is in the streams of the Baiyunshan Mountain area of China. This area is also called the White Cloud Mountain. Hence the name given to these lively little fish.
These mountain streams are always cool in temperature. And depending on the season, they can get very cool indeed.
So the White Cloud is naturally suited to lower temperatures. The cooler water is their home. It’s where they live and breed.
The White Cloud Mountain Minnow was first discovered by Shu-Yan-Lin in 1932 and became popular in the fishkeeping hobby a few years later. Which turns out to be a good thing because the White Cloud is almost extinct in it’s native habitat.
So the origins of the aquarium White Cloud Mountain Minnow help to explain why they prefer cooler water.
Your Climate And Heating A White Cloud Mountain Minnow Tank
Fish keepers that live in warmer climates often keep their White Clouds in outdoor ponds. And as long as the cooler months of the year don’t get too cold the White Cloud Minnows do really well outside.
If, like me, you’re keeping your White Cloud Mountain Minnows in an indoor tank they probably won’t need a heater.
But then again, that will depend on a few things.
Here’s a few reasons why your climate may mean that you need a heater.
You might need a heater for your White Cloud Mountain Minnow Tank if:
- Your country’s climate falls below freezing for long periods during the winter months. Particularly at night when the house heating is off
- Your home is unheated for most of the day due to work or other commitments when the weather is cold
- Your home heating breaks down and you’re left with an unheated home for a prolonged period of time
- You keep your White Cloud Mountain Minnow tank in a shed, outhouse or other building that’s outside of your main home, and it’s an unheated building
So, depending on your country’s climate, or how your home or tank environment is heated, you may need to put a heater in your White Cloud tank to keep them at a comfortable temperature.
Do Your White Cloud Mountain Minnow’s Tankmates Need A Heater?
Another thing to consider when trying to decide on whether or not to add a heater to your White Cloud tank is the needs of their tank mates.
If you have a White Cloud Minnow only tank you could skip this bit. But it’s worth reading it just in case you decide to add tankmates in the future. After all, keeping a community tank is a rewarding experience.
When you’re deciding on tankmates
for your White Clouds it’s always best to go for ones that can tolerate cooler temperatures. But tolerating and thriving are two different things.
Say for example, you want to put some Endlers in with your White Cloud Minnows. Would a heater help?
While Endlers can live quite happily in cooler water they do even better if the temperature stays between 18 and 29 Degrees Celsius (64-84 Degrees Fahrenheit). Although the higher end of the scale is a bit warm even for Endlers. So if your White Cloud Mountain Minnow tank regularly drops below 18 Degrees Celsius it’s worth adding a heater to keep the temperature comfortable.
Using an aquarium heater to keep the tank at a cosy 20 Degrees Celsius (68 Degrees Fahrenheit) is fine for both your Endlers and your White Clouds.
No matter which fish, shrimp or snails you choose as tankmates for your White Cloud Minnows you need to check what temperature they can live successfully in. Then you need to find a happy medium on the temperature scale to keep all your aquarium inhabitants happy and healthy.
Tip: White Cloud Mountain Minnows should not be kept at temperatures consistently above 22 Degrees Celsius (71 Degrees Fahrenheit). White Clouds don’t thrive in warm water and are likely to become ill, or even die, if the water temperature stays too warm for long periods.
Do The Plants In Your White Cloud Mountain Minnow Tank Need A Heater?
White Cloud Mountain Minnows need plants in their aquarium. The plants help to create a more natural environment and are a great help when it comes to breeding.
But do you have to have a heater to keep plants in your White Cloud Minnow tank?
If you keep cool water fish like White Clouds you’re likely to buy plants that can tolerate low temperatures. It just makes sense.
Plants like Java Moss and Java Fern are ideal in an unheated indoor White Cloud Mountain Minnow tank.
But what if you’d like a plant that prefers the water a little warmer?
When you buy any plant for your aquarium you need to check what temperature is suitable for it. If it likes the water a little warmer but it’s going to do well between 18-22 Degrees Celsius (64-72 Degrees Fahrenheit) the chances are it will be okay in your White Cloud tank. That’s providing that the water temperature rarely stays below the lower limit.
If the water in your aquarium often stays below the plants preferred temperature it’s just not going to do well. In fact it’s likely to die off fairly quickly despite it’s best efforts to survive.
If your chosen plant needs a consistent temperature of at least 20 Degrees Celsius (68 Degrees Fahrenheit) for example, then you will probably need to have a heater in your White Cloud Minnow tank.
Remember not to heat your tank above 22 Degrees Celsius (71 Degrees Fahrenheit) though. Or you’re likely to lose your White Cloud Mountain Minnows in your efforts to save the plants.