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Good tankmates for Cardinal tetras 10/8/09
Hi: I have 12 Cardinal tetras and 1 bristlenose Pleco in a 37 gallon
planted tank. PH in the tank is 6.5 and the temperature is 80-82 degrees
Fahrenheit.
<Sounds great.>
I'm looking for tankmates that are a little more active than the
Cardinals but won't eat my tetras or harass them or overload my tank.
<Indeed. Good choices might be found among the dwarf cichlids. I'd avoid
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi because the quality of the stock sold in pet
stores is incredibly low, and instead look at things like Apistogramma
cacatuoides, a wonderful little cichlid that does fine up to 28 C/82 F.
Apistogramma cacatuoides is available in several colour varieties such
as "triple red" and "half orange". It is also, exceptionally for
Apistogramma, relatively hardy and easily maintained. Apistogramma are
generally harem fish, so to avoid chaos and aggression, keep one male to
two or more females. Each specimen will expect a cave of its own; flower
pots, hollow ornaments, and halved coconut shells all work well.>
My LFS has Electric Blue Jack Dempsey's. They told me the those would be
o.k.
<The retailer who told you this is an idiot. Rocio octofasciata is an
extremely aggressive hard water cichlid in no way suitable for a planted
community aquarium like yours.>
tankmates for the Cardinals but it seems they would eat them when they
were full grown.
<Among other potential problems, yes indeed...>
Can you recommend something?
Thanks for your time.
Marilyn V.
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Good tankmates for Cardinal tetras 10/9/09
Thanks Neale. Those are beautiful fish. Can't wait to get some.
<Yes, they are lovely fish. Do take some time to hunt down good quality
stock. Some of the specialist cichlid forums and clubs in your
particular part of the world may be able to help you find good breeders
and
retailers.>
Marilyn
<Cheers, Neale.>
Paracheirodon axelrodi question, stkg. 9/21/09
Hi! I plan to set up a Bow front 16 gallon (tall) tank with live plants
and a driftwood centerpiece, to serve as a species tank (except for a
black Kuhli loach) for Cardinal tetras. My question is, how many would
be suitable to add, and what would be more suitable, Cardinals or Neons?
And what kind of plants would be best to add? (My P.h. s around 7.5-8.0,
with lights that came with the tank. Thanks! -Jack
<I'd go with Cardinals. Two reasons. Firstly, they do better in warm
water than Neons, which prefer cooler water (around 22-24 C) than Kuhli
loaches enjoy. Secondly, they're generally hardier, partly because
they're wild-caught rather than farmed (and the quality of farmed Neons
varies wildly) and partly because they don't seem to prone to Neon Tetra
Disease.
Allow about one Cardinal per gallon. If all seems well, you could even
up this a bit, to around 20. Cheers, Neale.>
Did Neale write a Cardinal Tetra article? 5/4/09
Hi! Did Neale write an article about Cardinal Tetras in one of the
American fish magazines a month or so back? I am wondering if I am
missing an issue.
Thanks,
Michelle
<Hi Michelle. Yes, I did write an article on Cardinals (and I think
Neons too) for 'Aquarium Fish International' magazine, an American
magazine based in California. It was scheduled for the March 2009 issue.
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Did Neale write a Cardinal Tetra article?
5/4/09
Thanks for the reply! I'm going to give them a shout.
Cheers,
Michelle
<Hi Michelle. I suspect the issue with the article might be in the shops
now; some copies of the magazine have apparently been delivered to my
'back-up' address in the US. Cheers, Neale.>
Keeping Rams and Neon/cardinal tetras. Sel., sys. mostly 1/24/09
I have a basement tank, 36/ 18 by 14, 52 gallons. I plan on using a river sand
bottom,
<Soft sand will be appreciated; the name Mikrogeophagus means "little
eartheater", and like the true Geophagines cichlids, these fish (in the wild)
sift the sand for algae, invertebrates and decaying organic material.>
my tap
pH is around 6.8 to 7. but I plan on using RO water (With a ph of 6.0), they
make for you at World of fish, (its voted best LFS in twin cities). At the store
they sell blue angel rams, $30 a pair, from a local breeder. These fish look
much better, more vigorous and brightly colored then the regular rams they also
sell (blue/German) they keep the angel rams in RO water but the others they do
not.
<Locally bred fish infinitely better and worth the expense. Farmed
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi are of variable quality and often "juiced" with hormones
and antibiotics; consequently their survival rate after shipping is dismal, even
though they look nice in the shops.>
The tank they are in is labeled NFS, as
they are treating for ich, but all fish on the mend, no signs of ich on the rams
at all (Corys had it), rams are showing territorial/natural behavior and they
use the same RO, water I'll be using if I get them, at the shop.
<If you have
locally bred fish available, buying farmed specimens would be dumb.>
I'm
planning on buying a high intense light, and planting with live plants and
driftwood. What kinds of plant do Rams like or that grow well in their water?
<In the wild they live in sun-baked shallow pools with mostly amphibious
vegetation that mostly grows above the waterline. So there's not really much
"authentic" you can go for. Instead, concentrate on species that will tolerate
the conditions in the aquarium. The very high temperature (minimum 28 C/82 F)
will stress some plant species, while the necessary soft water will stress
others. To be honest, I'd probably go with floating plants initially, such as
the Limnobium, and leave rocks and hollow ornaments across the bottom for the
fish. If you wanted rooted plants, buy species in pots that you can easily
fertilise with tablets since the sand itself will contain no nutrients (unless
you put a layer of pond soil or whatever underneath the sand). Cryptocoryne
species would be ideal.>
What are good foods for these guys?
<These are
quite fussy fish that tend to have favourite foods. I've never seen
Mikrogeophagus show much interest in flake or pellets, though I dare say some
will eat the stuff. Mostly they seem to require a varied diet of live or (wet)
frozen foods: bloodworms, glassworms, mosquito larvae, daphnia, etc. Remember to
vary the diet; if they get just bloodworms, you're setting them up for a vitamin
deficiency in the long term.>
I talked to the staff at the LFS and they said
add tetras first after cycling then wait a month or more before aiding rams/
change like 5 to 10% of the water a week.
<Likely far too little in terms of
water changes. Mikrogeophagus ramirezi are acutely sensitive to nitrate, and
tend to develop things like Hexamita at the first sniff of high levels of
nitrate. In part this is surely why they die so quickly in most community tanks.
So rather than estimating a water change, grab a nitrate kit and keep track of
the nitrate level each week for the first few months. You'll get a picture of
how quickly nitrate levels rise, and can act accordingly. You're aiming for
under 20 mg/l nitrate, and ideally 0-10 mg/l. Part of this is avoiding
overfeeding: these
fish need only small amounts of food to do well.>
I
was think 1 or 2 pairs of rams and 12 to 15 tetras in a school.
<Ok.>
I
was wondering if a school of neon, rummy nose or cardinal tetras would be good
dithers ? Are there any other good tetra-like fish to keep with them or is it
best to keep the Angel rams separate?
<Neons need cool water, so they're not
an option for use alongside the warmth-loving Mikrogeophagus ramirezi. Cardinals
can work well, and probably make the best bet. Rummynose tetras would be good in
some ways, but they're hyperactive fish, and need to be kept in a decent sized
group to school properly; if they just mill about looking nervous, that'll have
the reverse effect on your Mikrogeophagus. If you don't mind switching
continents, Harlequin Rasboras work well too.>
I do understand the fancy type
of rams are less hardy but I will be moving in five years + anyway.( though I am
planning on taking the tank with)
<You'd be lucky if most of the farmed
specimens last 5 months, to be honest. They really are abysmally poor fish. I
wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. Like pouring money down a drain.>
thanks
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Keeping Rams and Neon/cardinal tetras. 1/24/09
Thanks I
will research more, I'll also make a video of it- the tank I mean.
<Sounds
good. Look forward to hearing/seeing more in due course. Do try and pick up one
of the books on Dwarf Cichlids, there are many. Even the old TFH one by Jörg
Vierke (used, less than two dollars on Amazon) will be a
useful read in
terms of understanding the ecology of these fish in the wild and their specific
requirements in captivity. Mikrogeophagus ramirezi are nice fish, but the
reality is most people fail to keep them alive for more than a few months, at
best. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Keeping Rams and Neon/cardinal tetras. 1/24/09
When/if I
get them should I use jungle parasite clear on them when they go into the main
tank, or should I use a separate, tank.?
<"Scattergun" approaches to
healthcare rarely work. Quarantine all new livestock, and if signs of illness
appear, diagnose and treat as required.
The main killer with Mikrogeophagus ramirezi is Hexamita, and it is likely
latent in all specimens, certainly those produced on fish farms. Hexamita
becomes a problem when the fish are kept too cold, exposed to high nitrates,
given a poor diet.>
Also is it better to use fake plants then live?
<No
difference so far as the fish are concerned. Use whichever you want.>
I know
if I did so it would save on lighting and help reduce care in an already
"Demanding" setup.
<Cichlids would prefer tanks without lights at all, so do
whatever you want
so long as there are shady places for the fish to swim.
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Keeping Rams and Neon/cardinal tetras, Ram sel.
1/28/09
Do you know of any local Ram breeders that sell decent/or
excellent quality rams? I'm going to wait a few years before getting them, but I
wanted to look for breeders.
I live in St Paul MN.
<Well, since I live in
Hertfordshire, England, I'm afraid I can't comment on the local fish breeders in
Minnesota. Obviously the first step is to find your city or state fish or
aquarium club, and get in touch with them.
There is certainly a Minnesota Aquarium Society for example:
http://www.mn-aquarium.org/
Join up and attend their meetings. They'll surely
be able to get you in touch with people in your area who breed fish. One of the
great things about this approach is that the people in aquarium clubs are
typically advanced hobbyists, and so are likely to be breeding fish you've never
heard of, or don't see in aquarium shops. There are lots and lots of lovely
dwarf cichlids that rarely get traded, so you might find some real treasures
this way. Cheers, Neale.>
|
Sick Cardinal Tetra, env. likely 10/22/08
Dear Crew:
I always appreciate your articles and help from time to time. I
hope you can help me again.
<I as well>
I've looked and looked and can
find nothing that helps me identify what's wrong with one of my cardinals.
In
a 10 gallon tank, I have:
<Mmm, small/er volumes are hard to keep stable,
optimized... a bigger tank would be better>
9 cardinals - most are about 1.5
inches. Have had most of these since July of this year, when this tank was
established.
2 Otocinclus
2 Corydoras julii
Medium-not quite heavily
planted with a little driftwood
Aquaclear 5-20 filter -well-maintained
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
pH 7.8 always tap water is usually 8
<Yikes... this is too high... and likely accommodated with high alkalinity. The
fish life you list really appreciates lower pH, hardness... See WWM,
Fishbase.org...>
Temp 80 F
Water changes 40% min at least once a week -
usually twice a week.
<Mmm, I would restrict such change out percentages to
no more than 25%... use water that has been set out a few days to a week ahead
of time before use... Again, gone over on WWM>
Menu - fed twice a day -
variety of flake, Hikari micro pellets, Tetra veggie crisps, Aquadyne flakes,
live baby brine shrimp and the occasional crushed snail that shows up.
Today, I noticed a orange-red spot near the head/cheek of one of the cardinals.
It looks like a cyst of some sort - almost like an angry pimple. The spot
protrudes from the skin and is about 2-3mm in circumference. The spot seems kind
of clear or translucent (not fuzzy like fungus) and the center of the spot is
more orange in color - like the head" of the pimple - like a bullseye with just
one outer circle.
<Mmmm>
I have treated this tank for Ich in the past and
I don't think this is Ich. No white spots on any of the fish. No flashing or fin
clamping. Aside from the spot, they all seem fine. None of the other fish show
any signs of it - yet. Usually very healthy.
<Could easily be "something"
brought in with the fish, even non-pathogenic>
Nothing out of the ordinary -
except about 4 days ago - our temp dropped a bit (60's at night in Orlando, FL)
and I had to fiddle with the thermostat to get it to maintain at 79-80 F.. I
usually maintain at 79, but the fluorescent compacts heat up the water too much,
so I back off the heater. But I had to raise the heater this week as the night
temps were too low.
<Mmm... what wattage is this heater? They're
thermostatic... should keep any given temperature... not add to outside heat
sources>
One morning the tank temp was 76 (before lights on) and then by late
afternoon, it was 82. So I do know they have been stressed, but they seemed OK
and I didn't notice anything until today. Temp has been stable again at 79 for
the past 2 days. I see in some articles by Alesia Benedict that Cardinals like
warmer temps. What is the ideal temp for them?
<http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/tetragonopterinae.htm
23-27 C.>
Do
you know what this is - and how do I get rid of it?
<Mmm, nope... might help
to see a pic, but likely would require dissection, microscopic examination>
Any help you
can offer is appreciated.
With kind regards,
Sandy
<I
would not try to "treat" this with a "medicine" Sandy... Instead, look to
improving the environment here. See WWM re water hardness... perhaps starting
here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsoftness.htm
and the linked
files above. Bob Fenner>
Re: Sick Cardinal Tetra 10/22/08
Thanks Bob.
<Welcome Sandy>
The spot is actually just behind his gill
cover. Today, still none of the other fish seem affected. I do notice a small
dull patch on the opposite side of this same fish - like something starting
there as well. Tried to get a picture, but none are focused enough to show
anything you could really see.
<Hard to do, I know. Have seen similar
markings many times on this species>
I read the whole article and the other
webpage. Thank you. My big problem is that our water supply is also buffered.
<Mmm, best to start with cleaner water from filtration then... RO, perhaps
RO/DI... and add just some (likely a tenth) of regular tap water to this>
So
any attempt to artificially adjust the pH would take a lot of adjustment, on a
regular basis, and with each water change, and would likely stress the fish more
than having them acclimate to the water supply.
<A valid concern... but not
hard to adapt/adopt a simple water softening routine... again, simply using a
mix of cleaned up tap with just some regular re-added for minor buffering>
These Cardinals - I was told - were farm raised in Florida and so should be
"used to" our water - as much as they can, I suppose.
<Mmm, I fully suspect
that the water used for this species, and Discus... is actually greatly
softened, has much of the TDS removed to facilitate spawning, rearing>
I have
looked into getting peat inserts for the filter and can find nothing in my area.
Do you have any practical suggestions?
<Again... reverse osmosis... We have
"liquid rock" water here in S. Cal. as well and use such for most potable,
cooking, and some house plant needs... the tap is quite unpalatable... I would
argue, not really healthy for human use>
The driftwood has been in for over a
month and is releasing some tannins, as water changes show slightly yellowed
water, but not enough to affect the pH.
<It would do so if there was not so
much alkaline reserve... again, captive systems are reductive... they tend to
"go" acidic with time... But not with such high alkalinity>
Will back off the
water changes as suggested and will try to use aged water as much as possible.
<Good>
I would like to move these fish to a 20 long, and just keep this 10 as
a quarantine/hospital tank. but that will take a while to accomplish. We'll have
to live with this set up for at least a few months.
Heater is a Marineland
Stealth Submersible 50W.
<Mmm... I would move up to a hundred watter here...
and use it in your upcoming 20 long...>
Do you think a salt dip would help -
or hurt this little guy?
<Hurt>
Or do nothing and watch?
<This is what
I would do. BobF>
Thanks again,
Sandy
Re: Sick Cardinal Tetra 10/24/08
OK to all. Thanks again much. Will have to wait and see about the RO
system though.
Warm Regards,
Sandy
<RO devices of a few models are a wave of the future... Very easy to
install, operate... Useful for human uses to eliminate the vast majority
of contaminant issues. Bob Fenner, who has used them for decades>
|
Tetras (Neons & cardinals) dying one by
one in the dark in a planted aq. 8/7/08
I hope you can help. Please forgive the length, but I wanted to give you
all the info I could think of.
<OK.>
30g L, been up for about 8 weeks (cycled with seed filter from friends
established tank), custom hood with AHsupply 96w CF bulb (3.2W/gal),
eco-complete substrate mixed with fine gravel. Fluval 205 filter. Stealth 100W
heater.
<All sounds good.>
Tank has the following plants (most of which are thriving): Cabomba (2
bunches of 5 stems each), Moneywort (4 bunches of 3 stems each), Melon Sword,
Chain sword (just a baby), Microsword (2sq in patch), Ruffle plant, Wisteria
(just finally establishing its fine submerged leaves - 1 bunch of 3-4 stems),
Broad Ludwigia (1 bunch of 3-4 stems), small Java fern, small Anubias nana, and
a large bunch (about 15-20 long stems) of Anacharis (from a friends established
tank). Sounds crowded, but you'd be surprised how open it really still is.
<At least some get pretty big -- Echinodorus osiris for example will quickly
take over a 30 gallon tank if it thrives; mature plants can be 50 cm tall and 30
cm across! Echinodorus martii likewise.>
To this there's the following fish: 5 spotted Corys, 6 otos, 3 "mystery"
snails, 6 zebra danios, and originally 8 each Neons and cardinal tetras.
<Right, well one issue here will be temperature. To wit, Neons prefer cool
water, 20-24 degrees C; Cardinals need warm water, 25-28 C. There's no "happy
medium" at which both can be expected to do perfectly well. Corydoras,
Otocinclus and Danios are also cool-tropical fish, and will thrive at 20-24 C
(I'd go for 22 C). But that's too low for the Cardinals. So one way or another,
at least some fish are going to be heat or cold stressed.>
The light is on a timer to cycle 6 hours on in the morning, followed by a 3
hour off break mid afternoon, then another 6 hrs on in the evening. Then off for
the remaining 9hrs overnight.
<OK.>
All was well, the plants are thriving, the fish too.
<Good.>
Then I added the anacharis about 2 weeks ago. Suddenly I'm missing cardinals
and Neons overnight, just 1 or 2. at a time. Never noticed any trouble with the
actions/attitudes of the tank mates, everyone pretty much sticks to their
schools. But the losses continued. Everyone looked fine when the lights are
on... healthy, active, feeding. It was great. Well it's a great mystery alright.
<Well, Neons and to a lesser extent Cardinals can be plagued with "Neon
Tetra Disease" and will drop off one by one until the cycle of infection is
broken. But it is also possible the new plants brought in a predator, such as a
Dragonfly nymph.>
I finally started watching closer at night and I found that after the lights
been off for about 90 minutes (+/- 15 minutes) I notice a gradual and
frightening change. Both the cardinals and Neons lose nearly all coloration
going nearly white/clear.
<Quite normal.>
Then one or two of them start going bonkers and lose their equilibrium
swimming upside down, backwards and on their sides, barrel-rolls, tumbling
end-over-end, etc., then death.
<That is odd.>
Turn the lights back on and gradually (within 20-40 minutes) all coloration
has returned and activity resumes normally.
<Ah, now, this is curious. Have you checked how pH is affected by
photosynthesis? When plants photosynthesise they remove CO2 from the water,
allowing the pH to rise. When they stop, CO2 accumulates and pH goes down.
Alternatively, some (but only the minority) can perform "biogenic
decalcification", and I believe Anacharis is one of them. What this means is
that they remove carbonate and bicarbonate from the water as the source of
carbon for photosynthesis instead of CO2. This is why these plants prefer hard
water. Anyway, in the process the water loses its carbonate hardness and
consequently its pH buffering capacity. The net result will be that pH will drop
while these plants are photosynthesising, and the water pH will also become less
stable with regard to other pH altering processes.>
My water parameters have been rock solid since the beginning: Nitrite 0;
Ammonia 0; Nitrate "nearly" 0; kH 5deg; GH 12deg; pH 7.6; chlor. 0. I've even
tested right before and after a light cycle and saw no appreciable difference.
Temp stays between 78.5 and 80.5F.
<Do check the pH and carbonate hardness through the day to test my
hypotheses above.>
My thought were CO2 poisoning - but the zero change to pH leads me to
believe the CO2 isn't reaching toxic levels. Second thought - The plants are
using up all the available O2 (I'm not aerating) at night thereby starving the
smaller, more sensitive tetras. So I added a small airstone to the corner of the
tank and set a small air pump to kick on when the lights go out (my timer has
day/night outlets). It didn't seem to help.
<Leave CO2 off for a few days and see what happens. Won't harm the plants.>
Last Saturday night was the worst, within 2-1/2 hours three tetras gone
(down to 6 now, 2 cardinals & 4 Neons left), and all the fish (except the 5
Corys, 2 largest danios, and 3 largest otos) were pale. Even with nighttime
aeration.
<Hmm...>
So as a stopgap measure I retooled the timer to cycle the light and dark to
3 hrs light, 2 hrs dark ('round the clock). Two nights of success now with no
casualties... but even though there is the requisite "amount" of light and dark
I cannot imagine the rapid time cycles are any good for either the fish or
plants long-term.
<It isn't good for the plants; they need a certain length of time simply too
start photosynthesising, and 3 hours won't be enough.>
My next attempt will be to get a larger air pump and drive an 18" bubble
wand across the back of the tank rather than the small airstone driven by the
smaller air pump. I know this will drive out more CO2 to the detriment of the
plants (though probably not too much), but it should eliminate the worry of CO2
poisoning, and should add O2 in the dark for the plants and fish to (hopefully)
share. Also, I'll be raising the filter spout up closer to the surface to
provide a little more surface agitation (currently its about 2in below with no
agitation).
<Not sure this is the issue.>
Finally, since this all started after adding the fastest grower in the
largest number/mass plant-wise (the anacharis). It's possible that plant
addition might've pushed the balance over the edge with respect to CO2 and O2
respiration. So I'll be pulling that out and trimming it back to a more
manageable (2-3 bunches of 4-5 "short" stems each) size.
<Hmm...>
Hopefully then I can gradually return to slowly extending the light/dark
cycles to a more natural rhythm and keep my fish healthy and my plants growing.
Any thoughts? other suggestions? etc? Anything I missed?
Mark
<Cheers, Neale.>
FW Cardinals, and something sinister- Stressed Fish Start To Have Problems
06/15/08
Hello WWM crew. First, I have to thank you again for this great resource-
your time and expertise help so many people. You helped me a great deal in
the past with the curious subcutaneous worms plaguing my Cardinal tetras.
Thank you so much.
< Thank you for your kind words.>
Treating the tank with Seachem's Cupramine at ¾ of the recommended FW dose
worked well; every single Cardinal pulled through! The only "casualties"
were a clutch of eggs that my male M. altispinosus decided to eat despite
his mate's valiant efforts at guarding them (they are usually a great
breeding pair).
That being said, something sinister seems to have creeped into the tank.
About a week ago, I found a Cardinal looking emaciated and lethargic. He had
hidden too well in the plants and I had not found him in time to effect any
positive change. A few days later, a heat wave struck. When I arrived home,
the temperature was close to 90 degrees F! Everyone was either floating
oddly or lying on the bottom. Off with the lights, on went the AC, and I
floated sealed bags of ice on the surface. Remarkably, everyone recovered
fully except for one large female Cardinal, who I found the next morning.
Yesterday, another Cardinal started "shedding"- imagine a dog shedding its
winter coat, but a fish shedding its scales. He also appears to have popeye!
This evening, another Cardinal appears to have the beginnings of popeye. One
Cardinal could have been an isolated incident. The second could have been an
accident. But four Cardinals within a little over a week? I DON'T like those
odds.
Everything sounds environmental, but- Ammonia = 0, Nitrite= 0, Nitrate=0
(aquarium is long established/cycled, I just have a lot of very happy
plants), water is soft (RO mixed with tap, cleaned at least weekly), pH is
6.6, temperature is 82 degrees F. Is there something else that I should be
testing for? Could there be another connection between these incidents?
There has only been two recent change to the tank: one day before the first
Cardinal's death, I added a new Fluval canister filter to the existing tank
filtration (which remains in place), and I had begun using new ferts for the
flora (iron enriched "Plant Gro" by Nutrafin, since I can't find Flourish
with iron locally- but I do use Flourish root tabs). Coincidence,
correlation or causation?
Tank mates include:
28 Cardinals (not that I can actually count them)
4 M. altispinosus
3 Otocinclus (Very fat and happy)
1 Longfin Bristlenose Plec
1 SAE
Last edition to the tank was the Plec, but I have had him for a long time
and transferred him to my main tank because guests always commented on how
beautiful he was. Everyone was quarantined for no less than one month prior
to their introduction to the tank. Their diet (in case it is relevant at
all…) consists of mashed peas, thawed frozen bloodworms, Nori (which I think
they play with more than actually eat), Spirulina flakes, Tetra granules and
Nutrafin Max flake food (and whatever eggs/fry tank mates manage to steal
from the rams and the Otos). I would greatly appreciate any insight into my
Cardinals' plight- advice, guidance, suggestions, musings, criticisms or
reasons why atmospheric pressure is conducive to the integration of
pachyderms into society.
Thank you so much, and enjoy your weekend,
Tianna
< Here is what I think is going on. During the heat wave your fish and
biological filtration were stressed. Oxygen levels were low and metabolism
was up. Not a good combination. You fish may have somewhat recovered but the
stress made them vulnerable to bacterial infections. For a short time period
you probably didn't have much biological filtration because the beneficial
bacteria died off during the heat wave. If nothing else their numbers may
have been affected. As bacteria start to colonize the canister filter they
consume oxygen. Some filters get to the point they consume all the dissolved
oxygen going into the filter. Make sure that the return tube forces the
returned water to the surface so it can be oxygenated. The infections can be
treated with Furanace but this will turn the water green, and the plants and
bacteria will be affected. I would recommend to isolate any diseases
cardinals and treat them in a hospital tank with Furanace type of
antibiotic.-Chuck>
I am obsessed with keeping freshwater cardinals! I just can't keep them
alive! 5/13/07
Hi!
<Hello!>
Hope all is well with you. I have a question I hope you can help me with. I
have had reef and saltwater tanks for a couple of decades, and I do pretty well.
I even have a 600 gallon one in my kitchen wall!
<Sounds nice. Though if you prepare sushi in the kitchen, I imagine the fish get
rather nervous wondering if they're next...>
But I am obsessed with keeping freshwater cardinals! I just can't keep them
alive!
<I we talking those neon tetra look-alikes, Cheirodon axelrodi, or the
freshwater examples of the marine cardinals such as Glossamia aprion, the "mouth
almighty"? I assume the tetras.>
I have a 45 gallon tank with a sump. (an old reef tank). I had it setup with a
BioWheel, and gravel on the bottom. I suctioned the gravel monthly, did a 33%
water change monthly, and no luck with the cardinals.
<Cardinal tetras can be tricky for a variety of reasons, but once settled in
they're basically tough little fish. The main problem in my experience is Neon
Tetra Disease (NTD), which works its way through cardinal tetras at about 50%
mortality, i.e., if you buy 20 cardinals, and you get the dreaded NTD, you can
lose up to half of them. Better than neons, where you lose all of them, but
still annoying. Another issue with cardinals is they are all wild-caught. In
fact, they're the most numerous exported tropical fish from South America.
Anyway, by the time they reach the market countries around the world, they might
not have eaten for weeks. My guess is that healthy, well-fed cardinals are more
or less NTD resistant, but when weakened and cooped up in a retailer's aquarium,
they are far more susceptible to this disease. So as with any wild-caught fish,
buying when a new batch arrives can make sense, and then quarantining and
feeding on a variety of live/frozen foods makes all the difference.>
I then added an undergravel filter (I know....dumb idea, but I was desperate!)
<There's nothing intrinsically wrong with UG filters. They do a good job of
maintaining water quality. The problem with UG filters is their incompatibility
with aquascaping and rooted species of plants more than anything else.>
No luck. Nitrates off the chart. Dead cardinals.
<Odd, given how small cardinals are. They don't eat much (and don't need to eat
much, either). They're classic "pinch of flake a day" fish in my book. When you
say "off the scale" you mean above 100 mg/l? What is the nitrate level of the
water out the tap/faucet? I have to confess to keeping mine in rainwater with a
bit of tapwater added. Seems to work well.>
Someone suggested bioballs. Would not that make the nitrates even higher?
<Worth trying I suppose but I don't find nitrate removal systems in freshwater
tanks to be of much value. Freshwater fish don't care that much provided the
rise in nitrates is slow, and even between 50-100 mg/l you shouldn't get mass
die-offs of fish except with certain species (Tanganyikans for example). Simple
water changes are, IMO, a better approach to nitrate management, and the filter
is best devoted to biological filtration, i.e., ammonia/nitrite management
rather than nitrate.>
I have used Amazon rain additive (is that stuff any good?)
<Not really. Looks nice, but doesn't really do anything if you have hard,
alkaline water. In softer water, may help acidify the water a little, but
approach the concept of acidifying water with caution, as it's easy to mess up.>
No luck. PLEASE do you have an ideas? Thanks!
<Have a read of this:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i3/cardinal_tetras/Cardinal_Tetras.htm
for some more ideas.>
Ron
<Cheers, Neale>
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