Fact about neons and cardinals: True or False?

I think it is true that cardinals are way more fragile. Why is not something I can guess but I know cardinals are one of the few fish our wholesalers won't guarantee at all.

Its funny, Ive had more sucess keeping cardinals than I have neons. I got no answer or explanation for that though.

I have a large shoal of cardinals. My local water is on the hard side. Don't know off hand the actual chemistry though. I've found them to be quite happy living in hard water. I think it's only critical when it comes to breeding these fish.

If fish are farm brew, it's likely they will be more adaptable to local water conditions. This part is true.

However, farm brewing can also bring in in-breeding, wich in the long run might end up in weakened generations. This is seen in angels, where wild caught specimens are more likely to thrive.

i have had a school of 6 cardinals for 6 years now with no problems, everytim ei get neoes they are gone in 5 days, no where to be found, nothing in the tanks BUT the neons...

Physiologically I know cardinals have no way of dealing with very much hardness in the water. As the water gets harder they are more prone to developing deposits on and around their vital organs and eventually sucumb to that premature fossilization.

Neons are a mixed bag on hardyness. I don't know if the ability to deal with the harder water is gained from liveing in it from birth or if they are just more adaptable as a species. Anytime something is raised in mass comercially there are tendancies to try to make things profitable. Usually that means less attention is paid to the well being of the fish and sometimes really poor stock is the result. Neons CAN be more hardy than cardinals, but that isn't always the case.

I do agree that in general, hobby (including farm) bred fish are hardier than wild-caught. However, SE Asian bred Neons tend to carry NTD and to be terribly weak from the start. NIMT.

I have no issues at all with either Cardinals or Neons in my moderately hard, moderately alkaline water. Schools of either average over six years, but the Neons should last longer.