Cardinals

[jflowers]

I see lots of posts saying that cardinals are much more hardy and suitable for community tanks. Where I live they are sold as softwater fish and not at just one lfs but the only two I would buy fish from, maidenhead and waterzoo. We have fairly hard and alkaline water here 7.6 PH.

So will they live and thrive just as well in my tap water as they will in softwater? I keep neons very successfully in my tap water and have never seen the usual problems associated with them in my tanks.

Jon

 

[WILDER]

You would have to acclimatise them very slowly over along period so they don't go into ph shock, adding water very slowly for hours.

 

[CathyG]

Hi Jon,

My Cardinals do just fine in my water. From the tap the water is anything around 7.8, though I use RO water to soften it to about 7.4 (to 7.6 when tap water top ups raise it over a period of time). If you can keep Neons, you can keep Cardinals, so long as the tank is mature and you aclimatise them slowly (as you would with any senstive fish)

 

[jflowers]

Thanks Wilder, yes I understand that, I don't want any as I think neons are great, just want to know why they are said to be more hardy yet sold as soft water only fish.

Jon

 

[freddyk]

My cardinals happily thrive in ph 8.

Neons are soft water fish. 'Soft' and 'PH' are seperat entities. Soft would be the general hardness of the water. The PH is how acid or alkaline the water is.

The truth is, unless the fish are wildcaught they are being bred in aquariums or ponds and in all types of water.

The other truth is, fish are extremely versitile, and most can handle a wide range of parameters.

 

[jflowers]

Yes soft and PH are seperate, but its (water) usually soft and acidic or hard and alkaline, I know there is a reason for that, but the chemist in me does'nt exist. And yes they are versatile, I have a pair of german rams that are also sold by the same two lfs's in the same system as the cardinals.

So, cardinals are more hardy?

Jon

 

[Dubby]

Jon:

Just check what PH does your LFS keep the cardinals in. I know mine keeps them in untreated water (for PH) and it is hard water in our area.