Because plants play an important role in the White Cloud Mountain Minnow’s native habitat you do need to take plants into account when keeping White Clouds in an aquarium. Which is something that I didn’t realise when I first bought my White Cloud Minnows. But why are plants so important to the White Cloud?
White Cloud Mountain Minnows living in an aquarium setting need plants as part of their tank setup. Underwater plants in particular help to create a more natural environment. Aquarium plants also contribute to keeping the water condition clean and healthy. And even more importantly aquatic plants provide the ideal place for the White Cloud Mountain Minnow to breed.
If you’re new to keeping White Cloud Minnows, or even if you’ve been keeping them for a while, it helps to understand the benefits of having live plants in your White Cloud tank. So I’ve put together a few points that will be useful.
Why Do White Cloud Mountain Minnows Need Plants?
It may sound strange to talk about creating a more natural environment for White Cloud Mountain Minnows when we are effectively keeping them in a glass box.
However, the White Cloud has become almost extinct in it’s native habitat. Which means that aquarists are helping to keep this Minnow from dying out altogether.
So if adding live plants to their tank makes a difference it’s definitely worth the while.
A More Natural Environment
Creating something a little more natural is better for the White Cloud’s quality of life. And because the White Cloud Mountain Minnow can live for 5-7 years it’s important to make them feel at home.
The native habitat of the White Cloud Minnow is in rivers and streams where plants naturally grow in the water. And without getting too technical, the plants play an important role in the ecosystem of the river or stream.
Plants also provide the White cloud with shelter from predators and places to breed. Both of which are important for their survival.
Improved Tank Water Quality
Live plants don’t just help to keep your White Clouds happy. They also help to keep the tank water clean by using the nutrients in the water to grow.
This helps to reduce algae growth. If the plants are using the nutrients in the water column then there’s less for the algae to use for itself.
So you end up with cleaner water that’s healthier for your fish to live in. And less algae means less scraping when the time comes to do your regular tank maintenance.
Plants Are Important For Breeding
White Cloud Mountain Minnows use plants as an important part of their breeding
process.
Once a female has chosen a mate the male entices her into the plants where the spawning takes place.
The eggs are released and fertilized among the vegetation where they will stay until they hatch. The plants then provide a safe hiding place for the newly hatched fry until they are ready to swim off in search of food.
And although some of the eggs will end up being scattered onto the substrate, the plants are the main target for the spawning pair.
6 x Easy-Care Plants For White Cloud Mountain Minnow Tanks
Here are 6 plants that are a good choice for a White Cloud Mountain Minnow tank. I’ve chosen these particular plants because they are suited to cooler water temperatures and are considered easy-care.
- Java Moss
- Java Fern
- Water Sprite
- Hornwort
- Dwarf Rotala
- Duckweed
I put Java Moss at the top of the list because it’s a firm favourite with White Cloud keepers. I’ve been growing Java Moss in all my tanks and it’s doing well. It’s an easy-care aquarium plant that provides the perfect place for White Clouds to spawn.
I’ve also got some plants from the Bacopa family that I was recently given by a friend. She didn’t know exactly which Bacopa they were but nonetheless, my White Cloud Minnows love chasing each other through them.
Here’s Some Things You Should Check Before Buying Aquarium Plants
- Check the plant’s preferred temperature
- Check how fast and how big it grows
- Check if it will need fertilizer or special treatment
- Check if it’s suitable for your fish
If you’re unsure about whether a plant you would like is suitable have a word with the seller or do a little research.
Tip: If you add a floating plant to your tank make sure you keep it under control with regular trimming. Don’t let it take over, or it will cut out the light to your fish and underwater plants.
Can You Have Artificial Plants In A White Cloud Mountain Minnow Tank?
Not every fish keeper wants live plants in their aquariums. So, is it okay to use artificial plants in your White Cloud tank?
Here’s some Pros and Cons to having artificial plants in a White Cloud Mountain Minnow aquarium.
Pros
- Artificial plants are often cheaper than live plants
- Some artificial plants look realistic
- Artificial plants don’t need any maintenance
- It’s easy to remove artificial plants from the tank for cleaning
Cons
- Artificial plants can be made from hard/sharp materials which can cause injury to fish
- Artificial plants don’t use up nutrients in the water so they don’t help to keep it clean
- Because artificial plants don’t use up nutrients they don’t help to prevent algae
It’s a matter of personal choice whether to have live or artificial plants. But it’s worth thinking about the pros and cons before you decide.
Can You Have Both Live And Artificial Plants In a White Cloud Tank?
Another option is to have both live and artificial plants in your White Cloud Mountain Minnow tank.
This is particularly useful if you’re unsure about keeping live plants but would like to give it go. You could swap one artificial plant for a live one to start with and see how you get on. Then if you’re happy with that you could gradually swap some more when you’re ready to.
You might prefer to stick with a combination of real and fake plants to create the right look for your tank. I’m sure your White Clouds won’t mind that some of the plants are not real as long as they have a safe environment to live in.
I started off with all artificial plants in my aquariums and have gradually replaced them with live ones. I do still have one artificial plant in my White Cloud tank. But I chose to keep the one with the smoothest softest leaves. Because until I started keeping White Cloud Minnows I didn’t realise just how fast they darted between the plants!