Change to a species tank: cardinal tetras?

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HarmonyAZ

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Jan 9, 2004
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So I gave away my big silver dollars and bala shark because they were too big for the tank. I would like to go with small, colorful community fish now, as long as I've lost most of the meanies anyway. I will need to give away my 2 spotted pictus catfish (according to my LFS), but that's ok. They're going to get big and ugly anyway.

Going through the suggested stocking schemes in the Boruchowitz book, the one that intrigues me is the species tank w/all cardinal tetras. He says 24 of them in a 29gal. make a lovely school. And maybe also I will tackle live plants. Anyone see anything wrong with this plan? I guess I'll need to give away the clown loach and the molly, too, unless I want to go with fewer tetras. Any input welcome! TIA
 
You can decide on stocking limits, but cardinals and rummy noses look nice together.

About 24 would be right. If you wanted to keep the clown loach your probably could, until it gets too big.

More fish will mean more frequent water changes especially if you go beyong cardinals/rummy noses.

Falcon
 
The thing with a school of fish is that they have to have a reason to school. If you just put 24 tetras in a tank, with nothing larger, once they get used to their surroundings, they'll more than likely just spread out and do their own thing. If you want them to stay in a school, i.e. stay in a tight bunch that swims together, you're going to have to have a fish that is bigger than them that makes them feel somewhat threatened.
 
Unless taht fish tries to go after them though you just end up with a loose school anyway. My silver tips are not affriad of the big gouramis that chase them every so often or the flying fox that chases them as well.

With that many cardinals you will find that they form small schools amoungst themselves so it shoudl look good anyway. I think it would make a great looking tank, especially with live plants.
 
Serpae tetras

I have 6 serpae tetras with 25 cardinals in a planted 60 gallon tank. The serpaes threaten the cardinals just enough to keep them schooling. They make a nice combination, IMO.
 
I have rummynose and cardinals in my 55 and they look great together. I have 10 cardinals and they usually just hang out and don't school but the rummynose almost always school.
 
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