Cardinals In A New Tank?

Hey everyone!

Right now I'm almost done cycling my 29 gallon aquarium. Now that I'm so close, I'm having to get serious on my stocking plans. I have my heart slightly set on keeping cardinal tetras as the fish in here, along with eventually some cory catfish. However, I know they're typically not great for new aquariums. Do you think it's just a bad idea and I should find something else, or is it feasible? If it's not feasible, I was thinking of either neons or rummy nose, but suggestions would be extremely welcomed. I'm not limited to tetras, either, but I do want to keep a similar schooling fish, if possible.

Thanks!

Edit: I actually got the idea of doing cardinals from some of you lovely people on here, but I was talking with a fish guy at my LFS, and he was saying they're pretty delicate. Didn't discourage me from getting them, but said it might be an issue. So, I've been reconsidering.

 

I would finish cycling first. I haven't kept cardinal tetras myself, but I've heard too that they don't like "new" tanks from somewhere. I think it's quite feasible to add them after cycling though.

I would get the neon tetras though because they aren't often wild-caught, unlike the cardinals, most of which were taken from their homes and families in nature. This is my own opinion though. (Being raised in an aquarium for an entire lifetime also probably makes the neons more comfortable and easier to raise as well.)

 

Apparently cardinals are hardier than neons though and neons are susceptible to neon tetra disease would def go with cardinals rather than neons

 

I would finish cycling first. I haven't kept cardinal tetras myself, but I've heard too that they don't like "new" tanks from somewhere. I think it's quite feasible to add them after cycling though.

I would get the neon tetras though because they aren't often wild-caught, unlike the cardinals, most of which were taken from their homes and families in nature. This is my own opinion though. (Being raised in an aquarium for an entire lifetime also probably makes the neons more comfortable and easier to raise as well.)

Thanks! I'll definitely finish cycling first! I don't think I'd put anything in there without finishing. Seeing as it's been nearly two months, I'm not quitting now

But, in all seriousness, being wild-caught is also one of my concerns because of my ethical doubts surrounding it. The reason I'm slightly favoring the cardinals, though, is that it gets a little larger than neons and I may someday put an angelfish in the tank if the water parameters seem to settle down well after the smaller fish. I still need to research into it more, but I want to keep my options open for now at least.

Apparently cardinals are hardier than neons though and neons are susceptible to neon tetra disease would def go with cardinals rather than neons

That's what I've heard as well! There's so much information out there, as you know. I think maybe the cardinals are harder to acclimate, but the neons are more prone to illness.

 

I would recommend waiting a few months before adding to tank. Cycling is just one step, best to wait until is more established. Same thing for Corys. I didn't add Cardinals or sterbaI in my tank for several months. Not every one is as patient as me I did have a dirted planted tank so waited a couple of months before adding fish. Then added school of Rasbora espei. Then Pearl gourami and later (tank was about year old) Cardinals etc etc

 

I would recommend waiting a few months before adding to tank. Cycling is just one step, best to wait until is more established. Same thing for Corys. I didn't add Cardinals or sterbaI in my tank for several months. Not every one is as patient as me I did have a dirted planted tank so waited a couple of months before adding fish. Then added school of Rasbora espei. Then Pearl gourami and later (tank was about year old) Cardinals etc etc

Wow! You are seriously patient! Mad respect! How do you get your tanks more established after (fishless) cycling? Introduce a super hardy fish or keep using fish food/ammonia? If you use fish, what might you suggest? Thanks!

 

I would finish cycling first. I haven't kept cardinal tetras myself, but I've heard too that they don't like "new" tanks from somewhere. I think it's quite feasible to add them after cycling though.

I would get the neon tetras though because they aren't often wild-caught, unlike the cardinals, most of which were taken from their homes and families in nature. This is my own opinion though. (Being raised in an aquarium for an entire lifetime also probably makes the neons more comfortable and easier to raise as well.)

Neon tetras are genetically weak nowadays thanks to inbreeding.

 

Some false ideas running loose here. First, about 20% of Neons in commercial channels are wild caught. These tend to be more adaptable than the farm bred stock. Neons are not genetically weak, they are weakened by the overmedication of the non-wild fish. The numbers in which they are bred prevent the risk of inbreeding, but they are all given prophylactic treatments of antibiotics. These make for A) resistant strains of infectious diseases, and B) fish that have not developed their natural resistance to said diseases.

Second, Cardinals are caught in one particular season. This is when the numbers are highest. The collecting season is controlled. A few months later, 90% of the fish that aren't caught die off from dropping water levels. A relatively small number survive the dry season and are the breeding stock when the next rainy season rolls around. These few replenish the population to massive levels again. This is what we call a renewable resource. Buying wild caught Cardinals allows Amazonian Indians to make some extra money from collecting them, so it is actually more humanitarian to buy wild Cardinals than farm bred. And there are farm bred Cardinals out there, generally with the same problems as farm bred Neons..

 

Some false ideas running loose here. First, about 20% of Neons in commercial channels are wild caught. These tend to be more adaptable than the farm bred stock. Neons are not genetically weak, they are weakened by the overmedication of the non-wild fish. The numbers in which they are bred prevent the risk of inbreeding, but they are all given prophylactic treatments of antibiotics. These make for A) resistant strains of infectious diseases, and B) fish that have not developed their natural resistance to said diseases.

Second, Cardinals are caught in one particular season. This is when the numbers are highest. The collecting season is controlled. A few months later, 90% of the fish that aren't caught die off from dropping water levels. A relatively small number survive the dry season and are the breeding stock when the next rainy season rolls around. These few replenish the population to massive levels again. This is what we call a renewable resource. Buying wild caught Cardinals allows Amazonian Indians to make some extra money from collecting them, so it is actually more humanitarian to buy wild Cardinals than farm bred. And there are farm bred Cardinals out there, generally with the same problems as farm bred Neons..

Wow! This was so helpful! Thanks!

 

I have cardinals and I have rummynose. Rummynose are in my opinion more sensitive than cardinals, but both are extremely beautiful and they look amazing together. I didn't have any losses acclimating the cardinals, but had a rummynose drop dead in the bag from stress on the way home. I recommend that you get both, but maybe after adding some of your other less sensitive fish first and letting the tank age awhile. Mine do well in my liquid rock, high pH water, in case you were wondering about that part. And my store only stocks wild caught, and even goes so far as to list on the tank where they were harvested.

 

I have cardinals and I have rummynose. Rummynose are in my opinion more sensitive than cardinals, but both are extremely beautiful and they look amazing together. I didn't have any losses acclimating the cardinals, but had a rummynose drop dead in the bag from stress on the way home. I recommend that you get both, but maybe after adding some of your other less sensitive fish first and letting the tank age awhile. Mine do well in my liquid rock, high pH water, in case you were wondering about that part. And my store only stocks wild caught, and even goes so far as to list on the tank where they were harvested.

Thanks! This is helpful! Do you mind if I ask about your acclimation process for them? I've heard people go as far as making a drip line, which I’m down to do if it’ll help, but I’d love to hear what works best. Thanks!

 

I'd suggest Cardinals because they are, in my experience, more reliable and more temperature compatible with other fish.

Neons prefer a slightly cooler temperature of 70 - 74F, but the real reason not to choose them is that they often come with a strain of Columnaris disease that is virulent.

Despite the name of the disease Neon Tetras rarely come with Neon Tetra Disease.

Cardinals are not always trouble free but in my experience they mostly are. Neons are only 50% trouble free.

Both fish are excellent when free of disease at purchase.

I'd start with ten and if all goes well I'd add another ten in a month. They look better the more they are.

 

Thanks! This is helpful! Do you mind if I ask about your acclimation process for them? I've heard people go as far as making a drip line, which I’m down to do if it’ll help, but I’d love to hear what works best. Thanks!

So I'm somewhat lazy. I float my bags for about 15 minutes and then add about a quarter cup of water from the tank to the bag every five or ten minutes, removing some each time until 30 minutes to an hour has gone by. If they look like they're stressing I do it slower and if they look like they're ready to go swim I let them out! The only fish I took longer acclimating were my otocinclus, and I put the bag in the tank and rigged another bag hanging above it and poked a hole in it and let it run in for about an hour.
I'm sure other people have different methods that are more precise or more scientific. I haven't lost any fish to acclimation this way, and I have a fairly high pH and hardness. It helps to know the water they're in so you can know how different your water is compared to what they're coming from, too.