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White Cloud Mountain Minnows are seriously underrated in our hobby. Whilst it is true they are extremely hardy and make an ideal fish for new fish keepers, it doesn’t mean they should be overlooked when looking for suitable tank mates for a Betta.
White Cloud Mountain Minnows make excellent tank mates for a Betta fish. White Cloud Mountain Minnows are colorful, hardy, and won’t bother the Betta. Both fish desire similar water parameters and eat the same foods.
Can Betta Fish Live With White Cloud Mountain Minnows?
White Cloud Mountain Minnows make an excellent choice of tank mate for a Betta, providing the aquarium is large enough.
Although White Cloud Minnows can tolerate colder temperatures, they also do well in the mid to high 70’s, so keeping the Betta tank at 77°F – 78°F (25°C – 26°C) will work well for both species of fish.
White Cloud Minnows are loose schooling fish, meaning they want to be kept in groups, but won’t school tightly around the aquarium as a Rummy Nose Tetra would. I would suggest keeping a group of at least 6 White Cloud Minnows with a Betta, but 10 or more would be better.
White Cloud Minnows are a fairly cheap fish, perhaps only costing $2 or $3 each, meaning a larger school won’t break the bank.
Will White Cloud Mountain Minnows Nip A Bettas Fins?
No, White Cloud Mountain Minnows won’t nip a Bettas long, flowing fins. White Cloud Minnows are by far one of the most peaceful fish you could ask for. I have been keeping them since the 1990s and I don’t think I have ever seen behavior that would be considered remotely aggressive.
Will A Betta Chase White Cloud Mountain Minnows?
I have kept Bettas with White Cloud Mountain Minnows for a number of years now, and none of the Bettas I have had have really taken any notice of the White Clouds.
Whether or not YOUR Betta will chase White Cloud Mountain Minnows will very much depend on your individual Bettas temperament.
Providing you keep a group of at least 6 Mountain Minnows with a Betta, even if your Betta does chase them, it won’t be able to single out an individual fish, so the group of White Clouds will be ok thanks to safety in numbers.
What Size Aquarium For Betta and White Cloud Mountain Minnows?
As always when it comes to aquarium size, bigger is always better, however, I would recommend keeping a Betta with White Cloud Mountain Minnows in at least a 20 gallon (78 liters) tank.
I currently keep a 20 gallon with a red Betta and about 20 White Cloud Mountain Minnows. The setup works really well. The red color on the Betta really brings out the red coloration on the White Clouds Minnows.
How Should A Betta and White Cloud Mountain Minnow Tank Be Set Up?
Personally, I have set my Betta and White Cloud tank up with lots of live plants. I grow lots of Water Wisteria. The bright colors of the Betta and the more subtle colors of the Mountain Minnows really pop against the bright green background of the Water Wisteria.
Decorations in a Betta and White Cloud tank are completely a matter of personal choice. I like to use aquarium-safe wood and roots, but a SpongeBob house or a castle will work just as well.
White Cloud Mountain Minnows can handle quite a lot of flow, but a Betta will prefer a more gentle flow, so choose a filter that suits both fish.
I have had good success using a hang-on-back filter in my Betta tanks. The Fluval C series of filters is fairly good in my experience (I use this one which I ordered from Amazon). There is a lot of information about them in an article on FishKeepingAnswers.com which is called Are Fluval Filters Good?
Water Parameters for a Betta and White Cloud Minnow Tank?
Bettas and White Cloud Mountain Minnows are happy in almost exactly the same water. The only place caution is required is with water temperature. For the White Cloud Minnows, 78°F (25.5°C) is about their upper limit, whereas the Betta is happy anywhere between about 74°F and 80°F (23°C and 26.5°C).
In terms of pH, anywhere between around 6.5 and 8.0 will be fine for both species of fish.
How to Filter a Betta and White Cloud Mountain Minnow Tank?
As mentioned above, White Clouds are happy in an aquarium with lots of flow. I have even kept them in a mountain stream set up which was practically white water. However, Bettas, especially some of the longer fin varieties, really do not want much flow at all.
As such I would suggest using either a sponge filter connected to an air pump or a hang-on-back filter.
I currently use the C Series of hang-on-back filter which is made by Fluval. You might be surprised how reasonable they are on Amazon.com
What Should You Feed A Betta and White Cloud Mountain Minnow Tank?
Bettas and White Cloud Minnows will eat almost exactly the same foods. Both fish are omnivores, so a good quality small pellet will be ideal. I feed my fish a lot of Bug Bites, which works really well and is relished by all my fish.
Bettas want to eat from the surface and the mid-water, whereas the Minnows want to eat the food as it falls through the water column.
Both species of fish will also relish live or frozen foods like bloodworms, daphnia, and cyclops.
What Other Fish Can Live In A Betta and White Cloud Minnow Tank?
Betta fish want to spend the majority of their time in the upper regions of the aquarium and the White Clouds want to be primarily in the mid-water. With that being the case, I would strongly suggest adding a fish that wants to live at the bottom of the tank.
Not only will the bottom dweller have a section of the tank to call their own, but it will also eat any of the food which passes by both the Betta and White Cloud Minnows.
I have had good success keeping small cory catfish in with my Betta and White Clouds. I currently keep a school of Panda Corydoras, but Pygmy Corydoras and Kuhli Loaches will also do well.
The video below from Aquarium Co-op has more suggestions for tank mates in a Betta tank.
My Final Thoughts on ‘Keeping Betta with White Cloud Mountain Minnows’
From personal experience of keeping these two fish in the same aquarium, I can tell you it is a combination that works well.
Providing the White Clouds are kept in a group of at least 6 and the water temperature doesn’t stray too high, both species of fish will thrive living together.
