BOY are cardinals hard to keep!!

If I knew that cardinal tetras were so hard to keep, I never would have bought 17 on wed. But then again, I wouldn't have 7 left today if I did that!
First day, lost one in the bag on the way home and another within an hour. Then we went out for dinner and when I came home, I checked the temp in the tank and it was up to like 94*!!!!! OMG.... I had turned up the heater before I left, but it doesn't have any numbers on it. Soo I used ice cubes to bring down the temperature. Once it was at 82* I went to bed. Woke up to find three dead.. after that, its been one after another. So we lost ten since wed. I had read that they are very sensitive to water conditions, tho they are in a tank that is cycled. If it wasn't for the high temp who knows who may have lived. I have a feeling that I'm going to continue to loose these cardinals and when I do, I'm not buying any more. Had the idea that they would be nice with the Discus but wanted them in quarantine for a few weeks or so til they got alittle bigger. I think that if I had gone ahead and put them in the 55 with the discus they may have survived... or become lunch who knows...
All I know is that I'm not going to try these guys again. I have read so many stories of folks bringing them home just to loose the whole batch in no time at all. But they sure are cute fish!!! Ohhh well... I tried!
~ kate

 

Well, cardinals are fragile, yes, but I think any fish would have a hard time making it though that kind of temperature stress. Perhaps when your tank gets to a stable place you might try them again.

--R

 

HI Radcliff,
It was like a nightmare seeing the temp that high. I figured I had lost them all. And its not over yet. I'm not holding out much hope for the rest of them. I did a 25% water change this afternoon, the nitrates were a little more than 10+, ammonia 0 and nitrite 0, but I know how sensitive these fish are to the water perimeters. It doesn't seem like they are eating tho. I have crushed up the flakes real tiny for them, but I haven't seen any eat. I added some brine shrimp as well, but still no interest in the food. They just swim away and hide when ever I come near the tank. When the 17 were in the tank, they really looked so nice schooling together, so luminous..
I wonder if it was a good idea to keep them out of the discus tank? I don't know if the angels or the discus would have ate them or not. And I have to wonder if I did the right thing in putting them in the 10gal instead. Its hard to loose 10 fish in two days... I don't know if I can do that again. :-\

 

ive tried at the moment ive got 1 left from the 6 I brought a week ago. 1 died from stress and the others were struck down with no apparent reason. I'm gonna have to get more if my little guy pulls through otherwise **** be by himself

 

I have read online doing research on the cardinal tetras and everything I read all said how difficult they are to keep. That more times than not, you can bring home these fish and they start dying off for no apparent reason. They are such a beautiful fish in a large school, I'm down to 7 now. Good luck with the remainder of your fish I hope you have better luck than I had!

 

ive tried at the moment ive got 1 left from the 6 I brought a week ago. 1 died from stress and the others were struck down with no apparent reason. I'm gonna have to get more if my little guy pulls through otherwise **** be by himself

Another thing I read and did myself: The acclimation time for these fish is much longer than most. It takes almost an hour to acclimate them to your tank. With every fifteen minutes of adding a little bit of tank water to the bag. This goes on for about four times, then at the hour mark you can put them in your tank. Did you give them enough time to acclimate?

 

I have 7 of 10 cardinals I started with. They are lovely, and well worth working out the issues they have. #1 Don't even introduce them to a tank that hasn't been fully cycled at least 6 months. The nitrates have to be low. I wouldn't try it until you have them down around 5 or maybe a little more, not as high as 10 even. #2 Capekate is 100% correct! Even two hours is not to long to gradually add your tank water to the bag.
#3 Feed your tank before you go pick up your fish, then don't feed any food for the first 24 hours after you introduce the new fish. Then feed very little the next day. Do these three things and you should have better success.

The larger the tank you put them in the easier it will be to keep the temperature, and water parameters constant. Good Luck, and DON"T give up.!!! :;z

Fish in the Frozen North

 

ive tried at the moment ive got 1 left from the 6 I brought a week ago. 1 died from stress and the others were struck down with no apparent reason. I'm gonna have to get more if my little guy pulls through otherwise **** be by himself

Another thing I read and did myself: The acclimation time for these fish is much longer than most. It takes almost an hour to acclimate them to your tank. With every fifteen minutes of adding a little bit of tank water to the bag. This goes on for about four times, then at the hour mark you can put them in your tank. Did you give them enough time to acclimate? 

I didnt give them an hour I gave them half of that but now I'm guessing I should of given them much longer. I don't think it was them being accimilated too fast they where quite happy and swimming about after 30 mins only 1 died on the first day

4 out of 6 died in the first 3 days 1 on sat, 1 on sun , 2 on monday while I was at school then none until thurs

even one of my cardinals died 30 mins after a water change the temp was right and water treated.

 

Kate was spot on the entry to your tank, acclimatization is huge for these little guys they don't like changes much at all temp ph ammonia etc. They will for one just flat out die, and two be very prone it ich if conditions flip on them or are bad in the long run. And by acclimatization not just float the bag, slowly ad your tank water to the bag so by the time they go in your tank they pretty much had a good portion of your tank water in the bag.

But in the end they are not really fragile fish, if they have good conditions they are very hardy and live a good long life. I know people say fish can adapt to non native specs and a stable ph etc is more important then trying to adjust parameters, (that is true messing with ph and kh over the long run is a pain in the butt) but I find you are better off stocking with fish that suit your stable ph. Cardinals really do like and thrive in soft acidic water, they are way hardier and healthier in those levels. My main tanks have 6.4 ph and 2.5 kh with a temp of 80 to 81 degrees and I don't loose cardinals at all. They are nice and fat and bright and not ich prone at all.

I have had tanks in the past that were 7.4 in ph and slightly cooler 76 to 77 and cardinals in those tanks, lived (had some losses, mainly in the first few days) but they were no where near as healthy. They were not nearly as bright, they didn't feed as agressivly, and were way more prone to ich.

The other crucial part of cardinal keeping I would say is plants, they thrive in a well planted tank, they are so much calmer, and the plants keep the water so much healthier and eat up any toxins ammonia nitrite etc very quickly, without them small build ups of toxins takes out Cardinals, either really fast or slowly from disease or damaged tissues (gill etc)

I have dropped cardinals in 6 per batch, into heavily planted tanks with mature filters the day they were set up, with no cycle issues, and no losses. I set up my 50 gallon that way added 3 batches of 6 and in the two months+ since I set it up I still have 18 bright happy healthy Cardinals in that tank, they have pretty much doubled in size in that time and are very bright.

Basically plants, water parameters (good,stable ph and kh) and stable temp on the high end, if you have those, you will have no problems with these fish. You will have nice fat 2 inch beauties in no time, they grow quite fast when well feed and are healthy.

They also shoal nicely with neons for the most part (they split into groups but do mix a fair chunk) , here are young cards and neons of mine peacefully wandering around the tank.

 

WOW your cardinals look fantastic! what a great photo of them. ;D I have six out of my original 17 and they are doing great in the discus tank. Ive had them since early august and it seems that this six will do well. I will add more to the tank at some point. I'm surprised how much mine have grown since Ive brought them home.
~ kate

 

Ya, once they are stable and happy they grow very fast. Most double in size in the first month in your tank if they are feed well and in good conditions water wise.

 

I was sorry to hear about the above issues, cardinals are such beautiful fish. I hope I will be luckier with mine. I intruduced them into a fully cycled tank with good water parameters, except for pH which is on the high side. Thankfully, it is going on two weeks now and they seem to be thriving. They appear larger already and their color is great. They hang around and wait for food near the bottom mostly but otherwise eat good. One or two are brave enough to venture to the top once in a while. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

HI Gendarme
Good luck with your cardinals.. they really are kewl fish! ;D I noticed your temperature in the tank.. cardinals need warmer water than what you have yours set at. Just a thought...
;D

~ kate

 

Thanks. I was considering turning it up a bit. I need to get a new thermometer first, my old one was not very accurate. That temp was with a borrowed one.

Kewl is the correct word!

 

The LFS guy wa practically laughing at me when I got mine since they were my first fish.. got 12 of them.. and my tank hasnt cycled at the time.. was still getting trace ammonia.. and 0 nitrate.. lost 3 during the cycle.. he had mentioned the PH had to be about 7 and water temp at 81.. I have mine at a steady 80.. keep the water temp steady.. a fast spike or dip in temp will get them for sure.. I even made sure the water I replaced was close to 80 during the water changes.. I got a digital thermometer for a more accurate reading (which I also used for the replacement water, best 5 bucks I spent) .. I didnt trust the LCD ones since its the glass it reads and on the outside of the tank (what happens if the AC is on high..)
You definitely want to accimilatize them slowly..