Cardinal Tetras

[FishSticks]

I want to know if Cardinal Tetras are really harder to keep then your typical fish. I want at least 15 of them swimming along with 2 Black Veil Angels and 2 Gold Veil Angels in my 55-gallon tank. So what will it take? Extra water changes, special food? Would Dwarf Gouramis, SAE's, and Clown Loaches be good tankmates?

Should I add a school of cardinal's first and let them mature for a couple months and then add my 4 baby angel fish OR buy them all together and let them grow up together? I want to hear from people that have experience with cardinal's and how they take care of them...Any and ALL info will be greatly appreciated.

 

[millym]

hi
we've had 5 cardinals for ages ( lost one early on who escaped when i stupidly left tank lid open) & we have had no probs at all - maybe we were lucky, we had far more problems & deaths with neon tetras (nearly all succumbed to neon tetra disease sadly) cardinals are much brighter than neons as their red stripe extends all the way to their tails & look gorgeous. we read that cardinals have to be kept in soft water but ours are in london uk tapwater which is v hard (pH usually around 7.9) we've had ours for over a year now & love them.
as for compatability im not sure about your angels i know they can sometimes attack smaller fish. see my signature for our cardinals tankmates.

 

[tangastank]

I have twelve cardinals in my tank, I also live in a hard water area, they have been with us now for about a month, and so far so good, no probs, all seem very happy to be there, they have had numerous part water changes, all to no ill effect. A month is not a good deal of time admittedly, but so far so good.

 

[Lateral Line]

The original imports of Cardinals were from the wild, blackwater rivers, ultra soft, very acidic. The fish did badly in city tapwater. Increasingly, the fish are mass produced and reared in harder water. The more delicate specimens die off before they get shipped, and those that survive sit in the lfs's tapwater. They are still picky, but the weakest ones have already died.

What is still the same is their intolerance to poor water quality, which is not the same as water conditions. Really small amounts of Ammonia or nitrite will kill them quickly, and elevated nitrate will kill them eventually.

Because they are so sensitive to nitrogen pollution, I would never advocate adding Cardinals, (Neons, Rummy noses etc.), to newly cycled tanks. The tanks are rarely stable, and can throw small pollution spikes for weeks if not months.

You are presumably aware that the natural diet of Angel Fish includes small fish. When your angels are big enough to fit a cardinal in their mouth, they will.

 

[ecto1]

I would get neon tetras instead. They look almost the same, but are much hardier and much cheaper.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Cardinals are immune to NTD.

Methinks?

 

[SarahBravo]

I have about 8 cardinals, they are in hard water with a Ph of 8.5.....but they are doing great. They have even survived my newbieness and being swapped from tank to tank a few times. They are bigger than neons, more colourful, and have never given me any problems. The only thing to consider would be the angels - Lateral Line is much more an expert than I am.

I did have problems with neons that I got at the same time, about 30% croaked on me over 6 months or so..... I would go with cardinals out of the 2 if you do decide to try them.

Sarah

 

[JamesTasker]

I would get neon tetras instead. They look almost the same, but are much hardier and much cheaper.

I think neons look prettier myself.

 

[FishSticks]

Everytime I bought neon tetra's they always ended up dying from Neon Tetra Disease and nothing else, that's why I want to give cardinal's a try (since they can't get NTD). My thank will be running for exactly 70 days tommorrow which is a little more over 2 months, how long do you guys think I should wait before adding my Cardinal Tetras?

About the Angel's...yes I am aware that that Cardinal's are Angel's natural food in the wild but if hear many many succes stories about keeping them together especially when they are raised together. From what everyone is telling me, they don't sound that hard to keep.

 

[freddyk]

Cardinals are nice little fish, nothing special - quite boring in smaller groups IMO. They are quite hardy actually, but as I believe was mentioned poor breeding takes its toll.

Fishsticks, I would have added them ages ago. If you tank is cycled then what are you waiting for?

 

[FishSticks]

I'm not sure if it's cycled yet because I haven't tested my water. You think 71 days is mature enough to add them already?

 

[freddyk]

Well, 70 days with no ammonia tank is equivilent to 1 day with no ammonia in the tank. You need ammonia to begin the cycle (hardy fish, bottled ammonia).

 

[FishSticks]

lol, ooops... I forgot to mention I've had fish in my tank since day one, currently I have:
3 Neon Blue Dwarf Gouramis
3 Fire Red Dwarf Gouramis
3 Pearl Gouramis
5 True Siamese Algae Eaters
2 Oto's
1 Farlowella

 

[Lenna]

I have five in my 40 gallon with an angel and they are fine. They don't seem to need any special care and are just as hardy as my neons. I think they are much brighter than the neons and I prefer them of the two.

 

[jimbooo]

bought 14 cardinals, with 2 baby angels.

after week 2 one angel killed the other angel, 2 cardinals died.

since then, 9 months on all's well and they get along fine. (the angels now 4.5 inches tall!!)