Cardinal Problem

[Naringlo]

Hello, so I've been changing my stock around and I've ended up with a mess.

My stocking is in my signature.

Anyway, last week I had 10 cardinal tetras. And the only difference back then was I had 9 amano shrimp and they were very big.
Now I'm left with 2 cardinals which are in a fair size breeding net. I always expect one to die because one either jumps out of the tank or I'm guessing dies due to travel stress. I got rid of the shrimp as I guessed it was them grabbing them during the night while the were sleeping on the floor as fish do. And I've actually seen them with the dead bodies but other than them, I'm guessing the rams went for them due to the size. Occasionally the guppies do too.

The cardinals are very small, a bit bigger than guppy fry size.

Stats are all 0 except nitrate being a bit higher but not at a lethal level.

I still want to get more but it's quite hard to keep them alive at such a small size. And unless my LFS has bigger ones, I can't get any other size.

Could I grow them in my 12L? (Cherry Shrimp are tiny). Or any other suggestions?

Thanks for any replies, fed up of wasting my money

 

[Tonyb111111]

Hello, so I've been changing my stock around and I've ended up with a mess.

My stocking is in my signature.

Anyway, last week I had 10 cardinal tetras. And the only difference back then was I had 9 amano shrimp and they were very big.
Now I'm left with 2 cardinals which are in a fair size breeding net. I always expect one to die because one either jumps out of the tank or I'm guessing dies due to travel stress. I got rid of the shrimp as I guessed it was them grabbing them during the night while the were sleeping on the floor as fish do. And I've actually seen them with the dead bodies but other than them, I'm guessing the rams went for them due to the size. Occasionally the guppies do too.

The cardinals are very small, a bit bigger than guppy fry size.

Stats are all 0 except nitrate being a bit higher but not at a lethal level.

I still want to get more but it's quite hard to keep them alive at such a small size. And unless my LFS has bigger ones, I can't get any other size.

Could I grow them in my 12L? (Cherry Shrimp are tiny). Or any other suggestions?

Thanks for any replies, fed up of wasting my money

Cardinals are famous for not taking well to new tanks, by this I mean anything less than about 6 months old. How long has your tank been set up and did you cycle it? In addition, cardinals like soft, acidic water, preferably below a pH of 6.6 and GH of 5 so we could do with knowing what these stats are a swell. A lot of people keep them in harder and higher pH water but their sensitivity to toxins increases as the water gets harder and the pH increases. Also, what temp is the water. IMO shrimps will not be attacking them, and the rams should not be doing them any harm either

 

[coldcazzie]

The amano shrimp will eat bodies that they find (as will other fish), but they are not attacking your fish.

As Tony says, how old is your tank, how hard is your water, were these wild caught or tank bred fish do you know? Your rams could have gone for them, but unless they're breeding they shouldn't.

You have to remember that there's a lot that could've happened to the fish before you bought them. They could've been mishandled during shipping, or had a kid banging on the glass... and the stress of another move killed them. If they're so young there is also a higher mortality rate anyway as with all young fish.

I'd try to source bigger ones if I were you.

You could put the two remaining ones in your 12L tank.

 

[Naringlo]

My tank completed it's cycle in december 2011. The pH is 6.5 but not sure about the GH. What is GH? The temp is 27c.

I've seen the ram go for them before because he generally goes for everything once in a while and I've seen the guppies take a peck at them too.

Okay well that's good. It said they were wild caught. Okay that's fine. I did source bigger cardinals but they were pretty expensive at maidenhead and it's a real pain to get there too.

Is it possible to grow 5 at a time in my 12L? and 5 in a breeding net? The net is about the same size as the 12L.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[KISSfn]

More than you want to know about General Hardness or GH: http/www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/hardness-larryfrank.html

 

[Naringlo]

Thanks Kissfn!

 

[KISSfn]

My pleasure!