Omg i had the same problem also, and it was just recently about a few weeks ago. I had bought a total of 20 cardinal tetras and only 6 have survived for more than 2 weeks. Usually the others would die in a few days if not the first few hours. I'm not sure what's wrong with these fish, but my water parameters were perfect too. I'm guessing bad season or something.
I tried probably .. ...twenty? fish total to get to the eleven fish I have. My LFS also said they have a huge amount of trouble from them... and expect up to 50% loss.
It's just terrible. And my water is 0/0/10... so I don't hardly see how it can be that.
But once you get them up and going... they are absolutely beautiful.
If you have to take fsh on a long journey, I'd use a battery powered air pump to keep oxygen in the water. Also when you arrive at home, put a dash of Prime in the water to neutralize any ammonia that's built up.
I've had really good luck with cardinals over the years, which is fortunate because they are my favorite fish. If I had a 55 gallon tank I'd have a school of 40 of them. They look great inlarge numbers.
I keep thinking a large tank with a BIG school of them would look so nice...but I don't wish to pay for all that death. I keep hearing how sensitive they are and that a 50% loss is not unexpected.
you could take a large rubber maid type container and ask the shop to fill it up with water so will have a larger water volume or failing that you could ask for them to be bagged 2 to a bag and try to open the bags every once and a while or get a battery powered air pump and dump the fish in a container
Great posts...some good ideas and also encouragement - thanks to all. Cardinals are beautiful fish indeed...I would like to have a shoal of them, but I hesitate to buy more. In common with any aquarist who cares about nature, I find it particularly distressing to lose wild-caught fish.
I keep thinking a large tank with a BIG school of them would look so nice...but I don't wish to pay for all that death. I keep hearing how sensitive they are and that a 50% loss is not unexpected.
I think a lot of it is out of our hands; when we see the fish in the store, they may already be very stressed from their journey and new water conditions. The journey to our tanks causes further stress - remember that one of mine died before I could even put it into my tank.
I agree with doreenjoy that very gradual acclimitization increases chances of survival - if the water change is the issue. I don't know how the drip acclimitization method works - it sounds worth trying, for sure - does anyone have a thread address that explains it?
