I hate Cardinal/Neon Tetras!

ScottyNorq

AC Members
Jul 19, 2007
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I thought it might be nice to build my cardinal tetra school back up. So a few days ago I had a total of 7 neon and 7 cardinal tetras. Today I have 2 Cardinal and 4 neon tetras. I am finished buying these stupid fragile fish! Ammonia 0, Nitites 0, Nitates 40ppm (which is what it usually gets to right before I do a water change. Tank mates are 2 pearl gouramies, 2 dwarf gouramies, 5 fancy guppies, a few mystery snails, a few ghost shrimp and a very calm female krib.
 
Did you do a water change right before or after you got them?
How long had you had them?
What size tank do you have?
 
No i didnt do a water change right before or after. i put them in a plastic bowl of the bag water and let it float in my tank, then i gradually added the tank water to the bowl then dumped them in. Its a 36 gallon bow. I had 3 cardinal tetras already in the tank for a few months. Then I added 4 neons last week and then 3 more neons and 4 more cardinals this week.
 
I think my 'footnote' says it all...

You are not alone ;)
 
Well that's what quarantining is for.

Depending if there are many places for the tetras to hide,
the Pearl Gouramis may be stressing out the smaller fish. That will make the tetras prone to diseases and infections. Like how we are more likely to get sick when we are under alot of work stress because we can't eat/sleep properly.
 
I've had similar problems with cardinals. I think they're absolutely beautiful fish and I would love to have a huge gigantic school of them. I have the worst time keeping them alive. I bought 6 once. I managed to keep 1 of them alive for a month.
 
to be honest cardinals do not make good tank mates with neons.

cardinals are kept with Discus for a reason..they usually do best in water that is in the same parameters.. warm and clean. they do handle the higher temps better and do better in warmer water(82-84)the problems occur when the water gets out of shape...nitrates at 40 are usually not an issue except for fish that are nitrates sensitive. cardinal and neons both seem to be(as are discus)

another issue with neons..mass breeding set ups..over time has weakened the strain.
 
I have had some bad luck with Neons too. They just don't seem very hardy. I've lost way too many and when the ones I have go that's it. I love the little guys but I hate losing fish.

Q
 
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