cardinal tetra??????????????????

Cardinals can live to an average of six years, and the pH of their natural waters is important for breeding (they are egg scatterers), not for maintaining them. Normal tropical tank conditions in the mid to upper 70s and whatever hardness and pH your tap provides are likely to suit them well, unless your tap water when aged is greater than pH 8.

Mine average about 2 days.

I guess that that explains it ^ (the low pH requirement)

Mine is up areound 7.8

Andrew

The ph at the shops here in asheville tends to be kept at around neutral for most of the tanks. I suspect that the fish if acclimated correctly will live a long and healthy life.

I have about 30 in a tank with high PH at around 8.6. I got them before I knew of PH requirement. They are full color and eat till they have big tummy's and otherwize seem very happy. I am in the process of lowering the PH with CO2. I am doing this very slowly and monitoring as I go. I think since the water is so hard here the LFS is breeding and keeping them at this level. There was no shock or fish loss when I put them in a few months ago... Hmmmm.

I wish I could tell you more about them. they must be kept in schools and love frozen foods like brine shrimp and blood worms. They will even eat shelled peas. They will eat flake food too.

most if not all cardinal tetras are wild caught becuase they are so hard to raise.

and because of the long trip and probably several different water parameters they go through befor they get to your tank they are not as strong as they could be if they were easyer to breed and raise. good clean water with no amonia is almost a nessesity while they adapt to your tank and water.

some places give them more time to regain thier strength befor they are shipped to sell so some sources are better than others

I have had Cardinals for over five years, I usually run with about 6.7 - 6.8 pH. Never had a problem.

SnakeIce said:

some places give them more time to regain thier strength befor they are shipped to sell so some sources are better than others

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Totally agree with that, that is probably the most important thing.