Number of Cardinal Tetras for Proper Schooling Behavior?

Hi, I'll be getting a new tank soon (29g) and I wanted to put some cardinal tetras in it. I want to see proper schooling behavior though. I don't really like it when schooling fish are kept in groups of only 5-6 and just kind of scatter themselves around the tank. How many cardinals would I need to add to get them to school properly? Thx.

 

Will there be any other fish other than bottom feeders?

If only cardinals 10, 20 at the outside.

 

Cardinals do not show real schooling behaviour unless startled or stressed. They usually disperse in the tank, occupying small display territories.
In the wild only small groups of 10-20 move around together usually, bigger gatherings are just for nighttime and in certain age phases in the course of the seasons and their life cycle.

If you see cardinals school in a tank (and I have seen this in videos) you can be sure they used a few tricks for the footage. For one: Directional current can make them school tightly, but then they try to stay in one spot against that current. Second possibility: Spooking them regularly, sometimes personally, sometimes using bigger fish that could potentially be a thread but aren't like Discus, Mesonauta or Uaru.

There are only few real schooling fish in freshwater, among tetras you have rummynose (Genus Petitella, 3 species) and red-eye moenkhausia, that's pretty much it.

 

Will there be any other fish other than bottom feeders?

If only cardinals 10, 20 at the outside.

I think I'm going to add some sort of small-medium sized centerpiece. I haven't decided yet. I think I want to add a few guppies too.

 

Think I would forget about schooling behaviour all together. You can stretch the occurrences perhaps by having a huge tank, but even then I suspect the group behaviour wears off fairly quickly. Until, yes, you introduce some stressor.

 

I have 8 now and had 16 at one point. They do their own thing mostly unless someone walks by the tank then they school to the other side and disperse again.

 

I agree with others, cardinal tetras stop schooling once they feel comfortable, no matter how many you have.

I've found bloodfin tetras school better than most.

 

Until, yes, you introduce some stressor.

And I'd like to add for the OP that doing so is NOT good fishkeeping. So not recommended.

I think I want to add a few guppies too.

Wouldn't do that. Cardinals are softwater fish, guppies are hardwater fish. (Not going into that in detail, please use the search.) If your water ich rather soft, stick with the tetras. Guppies won't make it long in soft water.