# Cardinal tetras -- how hardy are they?



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi Everyone,

I haven't had cardinal tetras since I was a teenager, but I've always thought they were beautiful. I'm thinking of getting some for a tank and I wonder how hardy cardinal tetras are these days? 

Because tetras and guppies are so widely available and popular, it seems that when I see a neglected tank with sick fish or friends tell me that they lost all the fish in their tank, the fish are usually neons, cardinals or guppies. 

How confident can I be in buying cardinal tetras these days? Would you recommend farmed or wild? I'm particularly worried about things like TB, neon tetra disease, weird worms, and not things like ich.

Thanks!
Maureen


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

I got mine from Charles (so they're wild, I presume), and I'd say they've been hardy-ish. I had a brief ick outbreak at some point for instance, and I lost about 6 of them but I didn't lose any of my lemon tetras that were in the same tank. Then I lost another two at two separate points in time, without any obvious reason. Again, my lemons were fine the whole time. 

I agree with you though. They are beautiful. To me there's really something magical about cardinals.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

I would say they are a healthier fish than neons. Cardinals have better bloodlines. Neon's are rarely pulled from the wild anymore. Cardinals regularly wild caught. Just make sure you get them in a cycles aquarium. As stated above, ick preys on these guys.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

It depends on the source, i've had them only die from the 3 times i've purchased them from King Eds, but they all lived when i bought them at IPU. It could be the quarantine practices of the shop or the actual source where they get them. Being as all my tanks were planted tanks that were cycled, i doubt it had to do with my water quality.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you Neven, AWW and Franck. Very helpful!


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## Luke78 (Apr 24, 2010)

Maureen,

If you have any doubts about the source,ask whom you get them from if they have been quarantined properly-what they have been feed-conditions of their setup-wild or farm raised(i am assuming there's not much difference between the two seeing wild sources have made their way to farms to them going one way or the other) etc.Once you get a few, run your own quarantine and observe them carefully to see if all is well, then introduce into your setup of choice.In large schools they look amazing,and if you are experienced run them in even lower PH/GH&KH to get them breeding for you but this for the advanced aquarist as they say.Biotope surroundings really bring out their true behaviour and is quite the scene to see.As mentioned already in a few posts, a seasoned and properly cycled aquarium will go a long way for them without suffering any losses.



Morainy said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I haven't had cardinal tetras since I was a teenager, but I've always thought they were beautiful. I'm thinking of getting some for a tank and I wonder how hardy cardinal tetras are these days?
> 
> ...


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

I never have trouble with cardinals.
Cardinals need clean tanks. I get both. Wild and farm raised.
Even neons. I don't lose neons in my tanks. Keep the water and substrate clean and cycled and vacuumed and no reason you should lose them.

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.275065,-122.835591


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Cardinal tetra are far more susceptible to Columnaris then Neons. I agree with April that maintenance has a lot to do with it but again they are susceptible. Virtually all our Cardinals are farmed making a more disease resistant fish.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

The only problem I've had with cardinals has been them being eaten by other tank inhabitants.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

The following post is not directed at how anyone keeps their Cardinal tetras in store, to be honest I have no idea how other stores do regardless. The one point I want to make on Cardinals is if wild ones are imported and kept in high tannin conditions with leaves etc, they arrive in better condition. However if these fish are maintained in those conditions and sold to hobbyists keeping them under regular conditions the odds of them breaking down is high. They should be acclimated to regular conditions in order to have the best survivability to the end buyer, the hobbyist which is my greater concern. If they are going into high Tannin conditions then fine but the majority of hobbyists do not keep them like that.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

I agree on acclimating so they adapt in customers tanks.

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.235364,-123.185160


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, everyone. The idea of keeping them in a high tannin environment has given me some thought. I used to have a high tannin tank but right now, all of my tanks are planted clear water with Equilibrium added. Many fish seem to like the high tanning environment and I forgot that cardinals were among them. Hmm. Will think a bit more about this. 

I should also clarify -- When I said that the sick fish I see are usually cardinals, neons or guppies, I didn't mean to imply that all the cardinals, neons and guppies I see are sick! I see many BCA member tanks with beautiful displays of cardinals, for example. I was just wondering whether these fish were more delicate and therefore above my own skill level. I tend to specialize in small, easy fish, lol. An expert in effortless plants & critters. 

Thank you!
Maureen


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## zhasan (Oct 28, 2010)

I don't know much about how hardy they are but I'll share my experience with you.

I purchased 15 of them on boxing day and kept them in Quarantine for 3 weeks. During that time I lost 8 of them only because they managed to pass the divider and became prey of my convicts. I moved the remaining 7 to my discus tank and the next morning I had 5 remaining because 2 of the smallest ones became prey to my discus. After two weeks I had 3 remaining and now I'm down to two. The only left over I've ever found is a 1/2 eaten cardinal in my discus tank two days back. 

BUT I still love those guys and I think they are gorgeous. I'm planning on buying some more from Pat at Canadian Aquatics and raising them for a longer time in quarantine so they are a bigger size before they go to my discus tank. I hope my new addition will not become an expensive meal.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

Make sure you give your discus a very filling meal when you add. When you throw something in the tank..they run to it like a meal. So feed first then add while they are pigging out.

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.275166,-122.835518


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Morainy said:


> I tend to specialize in small, easy fish, lol. An expert in effortless plants & critters.


Ha ha well said, Maureen. You and me the same!


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

In general I found them quite hardy bust still a sorry "disposable" fish - unlike expensive discus. Cannot loose sleep over lossing one of two of these little fish. Won't count them every night either 

Bought 10 little guys from KE before boxing day. Dumped them straight into my 75g. Just did a head count - because of this thread, I think 9 are still accounted for  Not that I don't love them. My philosophy is that I really can't be too excited about lossing one or two of these little guys. There are too many factors. Unless I see disease or parasite spreading, I simply have to let nature take its course. Checking to make sure if the fish are healthy and active is the key for me when it comes to buying fish.


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## Luke78 (Apr 24, 2010)

Zhasan,

You are not alone buddy, had a dozen plus get eaten by my wild discus and now only one remains.An expensive meal if you ask me!

Maureen,

If you are planning on having cardinals, what tank mates would you add with these guys? If you are going planted(don't recall sorry) do leave an area open for them to use and be seen.Add a bit of current to their water as well, they like that.Not much to the point where they are getting swooshed around though!



zhasan said:


> I don't know much about how hardy they are but I'll share my experience with you.
> 
> I purchased 15 of them on boxing day and kept them in Quarantine for 3 weeks. During that time I lost 8 of them only because they managed to pass the divider and became prey of my convicts. I moved the remaining 7 to my discus tank and the next morning I had 5 remaining because 2 of the smallest ones became prey to my discus. After two weeks I had 3 remaining and now I'm down to two. The only left over I've ever found is a 1/2 eaten cardinal in my discus tank two days back.
> 
> BUT I still love those guys and I think they are gorgeous. I'm planning on buying some more from Pat at Canadian Aquatics and raising them for a longer time in quarantine so they are a bigger size before they go to my discus tank. I hope my new addition will not become an expensive meal.


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

I read a thread one time on simplydiscus where one member bought a box of cardinals - IIRC about 300 of them. He figures that cardinals are half starved by the time they are brought to the store. First they're caught, then held in holding pens for up to 3 weeks and then boxed and shipped to their final destination. So think about 4 weeks+ without food all that time. 

So out of the 300 cardinals, he lost only a couple but he started a highly nutrient feeding program right away with feedings of newly hatched baby brine shrimp for several weeks.

I've had good luck with cardinals - my favourite place to buy them was from James @ Rain Forest Pet Spectrum  in their 8' long tank full of cardinals.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi Luke78,

The cardinals would be in a 36 inch long tank with only shrimp and sterbai corydoras, no other fish. It's a planted tank (thanks for the tip about open space). Currently, I have several furcatus rainbows in there but I'm thinking of moving them because they are almost the same colour as the plants. I have another tank that will suit the furcatus very well, with more contrast.

It does seem a little silly to move fish to another tank just because of their colour, but my kids pointed out that they can't tell that there are any fish in the tank. The sterbais are dark on the black sand substrate, cleverly hiding whenever we walk by, and the furcatas (very pretty) seem to reflect the springtime green of the plants. It looks like a shrimp tank because the cherry shrimp are everywhere! I think that cardinals would be very pretty with the shrimp, dark substrate and plants.

I have a tank with lovely red granite and natural sand, also planted, that will highlight the furcatus rainbows' colour better.

I could just add cardinals in with the furcatus but I prefer understocked tanks.



Luke78 said:


> Zhasan,
> 
> You are not alone buddy, had a dozen plus get eaten by my wild discus and now only one remains.An expensive meal if you ask me!
> 
> ...


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Go for it, Maureen. I agree, cardinals against dark substrate and lots of plants will look great. I just LOVE cardinals.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

cardinals or rummy nose for sure!


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## Acipenser (Apr 21, 2010)

galaxy rasbora :a school of these if you can find them !


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

Acipenser said:


> galaxy rasbora :a school of these if you can find them !


same goes for when they are in your tank, often times you cant find them


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