Lemon

About

Tanichthys sp. Vietnam is a miniature cyprinid from a surprisingly narrow range. So far it has only been documented from the Da Nang province in central Vietnam, where it was first collected in 2009. It remains uncommon in the hobby and is sometimes sold under informal names like 'lemon' or 'yellow white cloud', and has occasionally been confused with the related Tanichthys thacbaensis. The easiest way to tell it apart from its better-known cousin T. albonubes is by the ventral and anal fins, which flash a clean bright yellow rather than red, and the body lacks the reddish-brown wash typical of the more common species. Like all Tanichthys it stays very small, which makes it well suited to modestly sized planted aquariums. It is a genuine schooling fish and really should be kept in groups of ten or more. Not just for the animals' wellbeing, but because a proper group brings out the males' best coloration as they compete with each other. It poses no particular water chemistry challenges and mixes well with other peaceful small fish including nano cyprinids, loaches, and dwarf cichlids. Breeding follows the typical egg-scattering pattern of the family, and conditioned fish in a well-planted setup will often spawn with minimal prompting from the keeper.