What’s safe to keep with minnows and shrimp?
I have 10 fish tanks, ranging from a reef tank, to pipefish, to typical community set-ups, but no matter what fish I keep, I can’t help but be pulled back to White Cloud Mountain minnows, so I’ve recently set up a 54 l tank, which contains eight White Clouds and four fairly small Amano shrimp. The tank is furnished with lava rock, plenty of Egeria densa and a sand substrate with a few caves. I run an internal filter, a sponge filter and two airstones, so the water quality is very good and well oxygenated. There is no heater and the temperature usually sits at around 18°C. I’m wondering what could I possibly add to the tank which won’t prey on my shrimp or minnows, and which isn’t too big for the tank, I’d love a centrepiece fish like a Paradise fish, but something less aggressive.
JOSHUA HALLSWORTH, VIA EMAIL
BOB SAYS: White Clouds are fantastic little fish and it’s great to hear that you’re setting up a tank with them in mind. Too often they end up living on ‘fast forward’, in the permanent summer of a tropical tank. Finding a larger centrepiece species is a little problematic, as the relatively small size of your tank precludes many attractive temperate species such as Panda garra or Odessa barbs, which would make great tankmates otherwise. However, a single Paradise fish could actually work. They do have a reputation for aggression but typically this is aimed at their own kind or similar- sized or shaped fish. That said, there is still a chance that it will predate the shrimp, especially if they are small. You could perhaps look to simply add to your minnows, or even mix in a few of the golden form for contrast.
The scientific name of the White Cloud Mountain minnow is Tanichthys albonubes. ‘Tan’ is the name of the boy scout leader, Tan Kan Fei, who discovered them.