Top Dwellers?

[dalethewhale]

I have 10 zebra danio and 9 cardinal tetra and although they're supposed to be "top dwellers" i rarely see them at the top, especially the cardinals who dart in and out of my amazon swords.
They all seem very happy i was just wondering if there was a reason why they weren't? the top of my tank is very open so maybe this is why?

StuartLarge has been kind enough to send me some Salvinia so hopefully the floating plants will provide cover at the top of the tank and encourage them to spend more time at the top?

 

[minnnt]

My danio's never did either. I think they're more 'top third' dwellers. True top dwellers are hatchets.

 

[dalethewhale]

My danio's never did either. I think they're more 'top third' dwellers. True top dwellers are hatchets.

Ah ok cheers, glad im not doing anything wrong! haha i get worried about every little thing

 

[KittyKat]

They're mid-top dwellers, which is the top two thirds of the tank (so they pretty much stay away from the bottom), so they're fine

 

[Caprichoso]

I have 10 zebra danio and 9 cardinal tetra and although they're supposed to be "top dwellers" i rarely see them at the top, especially the cardinals who dart in and out of my amazon swords.
They all seem very happy i was just wondering if there was a reason why they weren't? the top of my tank is very open so maybe this is why?

StuartLarge has been kind enough to send me some Salvinia so hopefully the floating plants will provide cover at the top of the tank and encourage them to spend more time at the top?

I would actually consider cardinals to be mid dwellers. I never see mine very far up and I do have a large school of them and floating plants. If you want a schooling top dweller you will find the White Cloud Mountain Minnow to spend 80%+ of their time at the top. I like them as they are lively, colourful fish.

 

[minnnt]

I have 10 zebra danio and 9 cardinal tetra and although they're supposed to be "top dwellers" i rarely see them at the top, especially the cardinals who dart in and out of my amazon swords.
They all seem very happy i was just wondering if there was a reason why they weren't? the top of my tank is very open so maybe this is why?

StuartLarge has been kind enough to send me some Salvinia so hopefully the floating plants will provide cover at the top of the tank and encourage them to spend more time at the top?

I would actually consider cardinals to be mid dwellers. I never see mine very far up and I do have a large school of them and floating plants. If you want a schooling top dweller you will find the White Cloud Mountain Minnow to spend 80%+ of their time at the top. I like them as they are lively, colourful fish.

But don't they need cooler temperatures?

My Danio's seemed like they were always on acid or something. lol.

 

[Caprichoso]

I've always kept mine at 75F-76F. Anything higher than that and they won't live long. Yeah Danio's are a bit mad, the minnows aren't as frantic.

 

[KittyKat]

But don't [minnows] need cooler temperatures?

My Danio's seemed like they were always on acid or something. lol.

Both do well at under 22 C, from what I have observed. 18-20 C seems to be best.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Could the level of your Zebra Danios be influenced by the positioning of filter outlets or powerheads? They love "current surfing."

Mixing Zebras with Cardinals comes across as an odd mix, as the former like sub-tropical temps around 20C (as Kitty Kat stated above) like WCMM, while Cardinals are more tropical around 25C. While keeping fish in warmer conditions may not appear to be a problem short term, it will drastically shorten their typical lifespan, as their metabolism will be much increased... Which in the short term will make them more hungry, producing more waste and therefore more ammonia.

 

[dalethewhale]

Could the level of your Zebra Danios be influenced by the positioning of filter outlets or powerheads? They love "current surfing."

Mixing Zebras with Cardinals comes across as an odd mix, as the former like sub-tropical temps around 20C (as Kitty Kat stated above) like WCMM, while Cardinals are more tropical around 25C. While keeping fish in warmer conditions may not appear to be a problem short term, it will drastically shorten their typical lifespan, as their metabolism will be much increased... Which in the short term will make them more hungry, producing more waste and therefore more ammonia.

I see your point... I have the temp set at 25 and have read in my research different views on temperature.
I know it's not ideal but the zebra danio were rescues from my brothers tank

 

[KittyKat]

I'd drop the temperature to about 22-23C then, it should still work well, but the cardinals won't be quite as hyper as they may otherwise be.