Breeding white cloud minnows

[Easyaqua]

Hey there
Just wondering if any one can give me instructions to breed my minnows.

Here is the situation I have a 70l tank I have a small amount of java moss and some elodea . The temp is 21-22 degrees constantly . I have sand as a substrate. In the tank there a 8 white clouds I want to breed them so I can get at least 50 eegs thanks heaps

 

[Nitwig]

Float some water sprite, guppy grass, or hornwort and have java moss at the bottom. Make sure you have enough light for the plants to grow and maybe dose some liquid fertilizer so they grow out of control. You will get babies.

 

[Nitwig]

If you set up a couple tanks like this and moved the adults every month or so your yield would be higher. I had a bunch of white clouds outside In a container pond and they bred pretty well with horn wart. As it got colder I didn't have any tank space so I gave them to my brother to look after since he had a spare ten gallon set up. This was temporary while I got a tank ready for them. I was pretty slow at getting the tank ready but my brother didn't want them any more after a few months and made me hurry up and get my tank ready. A week after he gave them back to me he discovered twenty four babies had hatched in a clump of java moss. So white clouds spawn quite readily but they will eat their babies. If you move the adults before they hatch you will get a bunch to survive. If you want to keep 1 tank then it should have lots of hiding spots. This has been my experience, maybe others will have different ways of doing it.

 

[Easyaqua]

I have a lot of duckweed that have roots going down to about 5cm is that a good enough floating plant. I also have a lot of java moss and elodea. But will re aqua scape for more hiding spaces

 

[Nitwig]

Should work. Really a whole jumble of any plant should do. We got more babies from my brother's ten gallon than we did from my 100 gallon container pond. I'm guessing because we moved the adults before the eggs hatched. You'll be fine, white clouds like to make babies. White clouds are stupid though especially the babies. They swim around in the open too much. At least my latest random baby did. He was chomped up pretty quick.

 

[Easyaqua]

Sweet as thanks heaps , another question is what temperature should I keep the tank at

 

[Nitwig]

I would shoot for low 70s. Mine spawned recently in a tank that was around 76 or 77. White clouds are not tropical fish but I think they want it to feel like summertime to do the nasty.

 

[Easyaqua]

Sweet as thanks heaps for the help man appreciate it

 

[Easyaqua]

Hey there I watched the fish today and they did lay a lot of eegs the breeding start yesterday morning my question is about the eegs. I have removed all my current minnows but while I did it some plants got bumped that had eegs and the bottom of them are the eegs likely to be damaged or are they just as hardy as there parents also when will I first see fry and when should I feed them

 

[Lt.]

Off topic, but my LFS sells white clouds as feeder fish, but you all keep them as normal fish?

 

[Easyaqua]

Yes they are very active and I think a lot more people should keep them.

 

[Nitwig]

Don't over think it. I'm sure if they laid eggs that there are plenty in there that are fine. you have already done the hard part in moving the adults. Now just watch and wait and enjoy. The fry will absorb their egg sac and then start eating all the little micro organisms on the plants. Once you see em swimming around grind up flakes as finely as you can between your fingers and feed small amounts. The babies are pretty they have a nice neon stripe to them at the beginning. they are too good a fish to use as feeders in my opinion. They are pretty and peaceful and can be kept in many conditions. the males are especially pretty when they are in full display mode. The only thing With white clouds Is they like to jump so make sure you keep a tight lid on the tank. They can even jump out of small openings like if you cut your filter holes too big. You can get the Needlepoint mesh at craft stores or Walmart and make custom cut covers for any big openings in your lid. I have had more white clouds die from jumping out of the tank than I have for any other reason.

 

[Easyaqua]

Sweet as I have made some EEG yolk fry food. Also there is a five centimetre gap from the top of my tank and the water line. Thanks for all your help. Also I was thinking of feeding a breeding pair of goldfish some good live food would these be good they are from my pond and are quite large but I will be waiting a month or two. And Again thanks heaps for all your help I appreciate greatly will post when I see some babies.

 

[Easyaqua]

Actually now that I think about these fish are only my first lot so I will only use as feeders if y tank becomes way over stocked or maybe I will build another pond just for them as they are one of my favourite fish.

 

[Nitwig]

It will be little consolation to them knowing they are your favorite fish as they get eaten alive

 

[Easyaqua]

Haha i think you will glad to know that they are not going to be used as feeders I have starting planning them a nice pond

 

[Easyaqua]

Hey there it has now been five days should I be seeing fry yet, they are probably there I just don't know what to look for. There are a lot of white specs everywhere could this be them.

 

[Bbarb27]

Hey there it has now been five days should I be seeing fry yet, they are probably there I just don't know what to look for. There are a lot of white specs everywhere could this be them.

The fry look like tiny black slivers/splinters that swim. It's really, really easy to miss them. I was used to livebearer fry that appear looking like tiny fish. White cloud fry are much smaller.

 

[Easyaqua]

Sweet as now I sort of have an idea of what to look for. As of feeding do I start when I see them swimming

 

[Easyaqua]

Hooray I have seen fry finally today and feed them powered flakes which they ate strait away so far I have seen about 5 but tell you if I see more anyway thanks heaps for all your help.