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I bought 4 white clouds about 5 months ago and I was told a 5 litre (1 gallon in the US) tank would be enough for them. I was also advised by the shopkeeper to buy an artificial plant as the fish would like to hide under the leaves. In the pet shop their tank was cold water. I did a little reasearch and found out that they can also be kept in hot water tanks.
My four fish have all been in good health but now I would like to breed them.
I have a couple of questions that if answered would really help me:
Is my tank big enough for my 4 fish?
Would I need a bigger tank if I would like to breed?
Would it be better to switch them to hot water if I would be breeding them (and is it possible to swich them as they've been living in cold water for so long?)
Please help as Im totally clueless as these are my first ever fish.

I'd say that a 5 gallon is the minimum that 4 WCMMs should be kept in. A better situation is if you could get your hands on a 10 gallon tank, and then you could increase your numbers up to 7 or 8 WCMMs. Frankly, a 10 gallon is the smallest size that I'd recommend for a first timer; since there is more water, it will be more stable and hence easier to keep fish in. White clouds are quite hardy fish, but small tanks can turn sour so fast that even they might die if it crashes.

They can be kept in warm water, but they prefer cooler (think 22 C and below). You could probably breed them in the 5 gallon tank, but don't expect any fry to survive to adulthood -- the mature white clouds would find them a tasty snack.

Since these are your first fish, I'd recommend taking a look at this series of articles. I know it seems like a lot, but it is all important information that will save you lots of headache, heartache, and money in the future.

Joe Potato

A 1g is absolutely not big enough for white clouds. First they prefer to be in a groups of 6+ since they are schooling fish and 2nd they are highly active. I would actually suggest a 20g long minimum for white clouds. At least get them a 10g and then never return to that store again. The person there is an idiot who should not be in charge of a living thing.

For breeding them the temperature doesn't really matter. They may breed more frequently in warmer water but their lifespans will be shorter and my 8 spawned at least monthly in room temperature water. I never put a heater in the tank. I then kept my last 2 after the others passed in a hot water tank with my angel for a year so temp doesn't really matter. I would try to keep them in cold water but they can handle warmer water.

You do definitely need more space to breed them. They don't have room to swim in there and any eggs will be eaten instantly. Best is to either maintain a large group in a fairly large tank and try to suck the eggs out right as they spawn or set up 2 tanks. Maybe a 20 for the main group and a 5-10g for breeding. Move a known male and female to the breeding tank after conditioning them and then remove them after they lay eggs. Then you can safely raise the fry where the parents won't eat them. To condition feed frozen or live foods. Frozen should be enough for these guys and is easy to get and keep.

Thanks so much.
I'll head straight to a pet shop next chance I get.

Oh and one last thing do the ylike having plants in the tank?

I can't think of many fish that don't like plants in the tank. They provide cover and (if real) will add to the stability of the tank. They're not necessary for WCMMs if you provide cover with ornaments and whatnot, but I'd say definitely get them if you can. If the fish are comfortable, you'll be rewarded with much more natural behavior.

Joe Potato

White clouds naturally come from fast flowing streams so they don't actually live in really heavy plant cover. They like open swimming areas with some rocks or driftwood. Some plants though would definitely be beneficial and they would likely spawn along the edge of planted areas more than in the open areas despite the fact they prefer those for swimming since eggs are more likely to be found and eaten. I had them in a small 20g long river tank with natural colored gravel, several smooth river stones, a couple small pieces of driftwood, and a few patches of plants such as java fern on the driftwood and some hairgrass along the back.

The ones I have in my 5' tank definatly like the open areas, they are genearally hanging out near the filter outlet chasing each other around.
Occasionally they'll dart in and out among the plants. If a few get seperated they tend to hide by themselves there till they catch up with the rest of the group.

I'd say that a 10 is a bare minimum but they're active fish that want room, 20 gallon long is the best of the smaller tanks, a 55 would work too. Longer tanks are always better than taller tanks for fish like WCMM.

^_^

Thanks every one.