Nexxorcist

Hey guys! So I'm set on getting cardinal tetra, but here's the thing... When I went to Petco, just to glance around, I looked up at the sign and it read, Farm Raised Cardinal Tetra.

Should I be worried or should I be overjoyed? I have no idea. Does anybody else know what that means? will they be healthier, more prone to die, be weird and grow a pair of legs?

If anybody can shed some light on this, it'd be greatly appreciated. They were like 1.99 a piece, so I'm thinkin about gettin them from Petco unless someone says otherwise. Thanks!

pinkfloydpuffer

Farm raised means that they were not wild caught. I suggest getting them farm/tank raised whenever possible. It supports the fish breeders and wild caught fish often come with paracites, diseases, etc.

Dean

My Cards are farm raised and my LFS told me they are much hardier then wild caught

Stradius011

farm raised fish are either hardier because they're used to tank conditions or poor quality from mass breeding

Fish_wise_man

I thought that they treat the fishes that have the parasites and then the send them to the person. That's what someone else had their Peruvian Altum Angels been through that. So I doubt that the people who catch fishes from the wild will give you fishes with parasites that are already inside them. Otherwise they won't be able to make good business at all.

carlos413

Another issue with wild caught fish id like to point out is: You never know how far along in there life cycle they are.

harpua2002

I've had terrible luck with wild caught cardinals (which, as I understand, are more often seen in the hobby), and wonderful luck with tank-raised. They are more adaptable and less prone to disease IMO. Same goes for the rummynose I've kept... these are 2 species that get a pretty bad rep for hardiness, but if you can buy tank-raised it can really turn the tables on that idea. JME.

David593

Wild ones are indeed more prone to disease and need more specific ank parameters. Farm-raised are hardier and can be kept in a wider parameter range. However, with many fish, wilde caights ones are often more colorful. However, this does not apply to cardinals that much. Get tank raised when you can. It will be much safer.

Fish_wise_man

I've had only one or two problems with importing wild caught fishes into my aquarium. Most of them were only with Congo Tetras because they were always dying. Unfortunately I might have found the solution. They require different water conditions than my South American fishes.

So other than that I haven't had any problems. I raised wild Altum Angels before in my big huge tank a long time ago, along with the Giant Gourami fish. I usually would go for fishes that are young still. The best I've had were freshwater stingrays. Even though they can sting you.. you just have to be careful I've kept my little stingray for a long time. I'm looking for freshwater jelly fishes I hear they don't sting xD