My First Cardinal Tetras!

I bought 10 cardinal tetras from ebay. I put them in a soup cup for over 2 hours while I acclimated them to the new aquarium water; then, I put them in a breeder box inside the 40 gallon tank for over 30 minutes; then, I put them in the tank. Eight of them are adjusting well and swim together. One swims above the harlequin rasboras, but he seems fine. However, one seemed pretty stressed and was in a surface corner for a while. I will keep the 110 aquaclear hob filter off for a few days as they adjust more.

They are rather small right now, and the harlequin rasboras were chasing some for a while. I am going to order a mother anubias plant to help them feel safer in the tank.

I have 10 Cardinal tetras, 18 harlequin rasboras, and corydoras and java loaches, so my tank is pretty full. An extra large mother aquarium plant should help them feel better. In addition, I might buy another 10 cardinal tetras to help them feel even more safe, but I am not sure about buying more of them right now.

I am not sure how to feed these guys yet. It is easy to feed my other fish as they eat from just the top or bottom, but the cardinal tetras eat in the middle. Besides free falling food, they also eat little bits of food from the bottom, right? I think they might like my NLS .5mm pellet food that free falls whereas my other fish don't like them, but I am not sure.

 

The Cardinals were a nice pick up. You've provided a very good home for them. If the NLS pellets don't work, you might try the Omega One small grain sinking Cichlid pellets. All my fish, big & small tear it up.

 

Nice. I love cardinals.
I'd add some floaters / coverage.
These fish are used to swim above a dark colored substrate which makes them invisible from above (dark back). Cause you've light substrate they'll need some coverage to feel safe. Think all your fish will color up when you do so.

 

Oh interesting about the dark substrate. I also have light coloured substrate and was planning to get some cardinals.

I just got some hikarI "semI floating" micro pellets https://www.hikari.info/tropical/t_02.html for my espeI rasboras. I was worried the molly's were getting too much of the flakes and noticed that any flakes that started to sink the rasbora's would go after. The molly's also hoover up the mico pellets as some keep floating, the ones that start to sink do so pretty quickly so the rasboras have to be quick to get them. The packaging actually has cardinals on it, not sure if that is just cause they look nice

What reaches the bottom my khulI loaches seem to like as well (and I noticed a khulI loach in your pic).

Tony.

 

Oh interesting about the dark substrate. I also have light coloured substrate and was planning to get some cardinals.

I just got some hikarI "semI floating" micro pellets https://www.hikari.info/tropical/t_02.html for my espeI rasboras. I was worried the molly's were getting too much of the flakes and noticed that any flakes that started to sink the rasbora's would go after. The molly's also hoover up the mico pellets as some keep floating, the ones that start to sink do so pretty quickly so the rasboras have to be quick to get them. The packaging actually has cardinals on it, not sure if that is just cause they look nice

What reaches the bottom my khulI loaches seem to like as well (and I noticed a khulI loach in your pic).

Tony.

 

OK, natural habitat quite different from my tank!

Tony.