Cardinal tetras ?

[Keenamoss]

Hi there,

I have some wild form cherry shrimp (about 50), a spiky marsh snail and lots of ramshorn snails in a 14g planted tank (pictured). I bought a betta on the weekend as I have a soft spot for them and my last one recently passed, but also on impulse I bought two lone cardinal tetras who were by themselves and looking all forlorn. They are now in my 14g and everyone is getting on reasonably well.

I’ve since ordered four more cardinal friends for the tetras online. Can I possibly keep them in a group of 6 in this tank with the betta+shrimp+snails or will they/betta be miserable unless I move them to a bigger tank (and possibly get them some more friends)?

 

[GaryE]

It's possible, and will probably work. 5-6 cardinals with a betta would work in there.

You may see a comment that has recently become common, about betta splendens not being community fish and never having tankmates - it flies in the face of 100 years of successful betta keeping and only applies to bettas whose fins are enormous and overbred, or bettas in very tiny tanks. A planted tank like yours will be good.

My daughter had that size tank with 8 cardinals and a Betta, and it ran like a charm for years. I ended up taking care of it and moving the cardinals to a large tank after the old betta went west, but over 4 years, the fish were fine.

Just the usual 25-30% water changes weekly, and no overfeeding will do it.

The Betta may solve the cherry shrimp population problem though, and cardinals will also eat young shrimp.

 

[Keenamoss]

It's possible, and will probably work. 5-6 cardinals with a betta would work in there.

You may see a comment that has recently become common, about betta splendens not being community fish and never having tankmates - it flies in the face of 100 years of successful betta keeping and only applies to bettas whose fins are enormous and overbred, or bettas in very tiny tanks. A planted tank like yours will be good.

My daughter had that size tank with 8 cardinals and a Betta, and it ran like a charm for years. I ended up taking care of it and moving the cardinals to a large tank after the old betta went west, but over 4 years, the fish were fine.

Just the usual 25-30% water changes weekly, and no overfeeding will do it.

The Betta may solve the cherry shrimp population problem though, and cardinals will also eat young shrimp.

Thank you for this yes the cherries are also a concern for me.. my last betta did nothing to put a dint in the population and so far the cardinals have not had a go (only the larger shrimp have been making themselves visible) but add a few more cardinals and I am worried that they’ll all live their whole lives in fear

 

[Keenamoss]

But also I am worried about the carsinals not having a long space to patrol up and down?