Tanichthys

One of the most ubiquitous species in the hobby and several ornamental strains are available including 'long-finned', 'golden', 'albino', and 'super red', for which care is identical to that of the 'standard' fish. Unfortunately the degree of inbreeding amongst farm-bred stock has resulted in a situation whereby many of the fish available today are genetically weak and prone to disease or develop physical deformities.

This species only became available in the aquarium hobby during the early 21st century but has already achieved a measure of popularity since it's attractive, easy to maintain and usually quite cheaply-priced. You may see it on sale under various trade names including 'Vietnamese minnow', 'cardinal minnow', 'royal white cloud', 'dwarf cardinal' and others. We've obtained images of what is said to be a naturally-occurring form with extremely elong...

This fish was first collected in 2009 and limited numbers have been available in the aquarium trade. Though additional exports may be unlikely it's proven easy to breed in captivity and there's a fair chance it will become established in the hobby. It's sold under several names including T. sp. 'lemon' or 'yellow white cloud', and has also been misidentified as the congener T. thacbaensis, a valid species occurring much further north in Vietnam.