Neon Or Cardinal Tetras

[deanrar]

am looking at putting some in my 2 foot cary breeding tank, so which one neon or cardinal and how many (6+ obviously)?

 

[eldomingo]

am looking at putting some in my 2 foot cary breeding tank, so which one neon or cardinal and how many (6+ obviously)?

cardinals have a red stripe all along their back whereas neons only have one that goes from their tail to half way up their bellies and cardinals generally grow bigger than neons.

cardinal tetra

neon tetra

 

[deanrar]

yeh i'v read up on both species just wanted some opion on which other people preffered out of the 2 and some experiences with them from other people

 

[rossyt99]

Cardinals are my preference> nice big shoal of them if poss......(usually cost more though)

 

[eldomingo]

yeh i'v read up on both species ...

oh sorry.
neons tend to be cheaper and don't get as big so you could have a reasonable sized shoal for not as much but cardinals are nice but i think they look bulky.

my suggestion would be to get a few of both because mine shoal together as though they were the same.

 

[Gazoo]

They both look great but I prefer the cardinals red belly and that it's a little larger than the neon. I have six now with black phantoms and pristellas (x-rays) but I would love to have cardinals only in a 20 gallon long.

 

[rchambers]

Cardinals get my vote too, I think they look better and have heard they are hardier too. I have 12 in my tank at the moment and they look ace swimming in and out of the plants together.

 

[Gazoo]

Nice pictures eldomingo. I'm guessing they were taken in your aquarium?

 

[Thomas 2507]

I much prefer Neons - just think they're much nicer fish in general.

 

[deanrar]

i think i'm gonna take the easy option and get some of both lol and i assume they will shoal together (until they are more comfortable at least),
would 6 of each be too much for my 2 foot tank?

 

[eldomingo]

Nice pictures eldomingo. I'm guessing they were taken in your aquarium?

yeah

i had 6 cardinals and all but one died within the first 6months but none of my neons have died and i've had them over a year.

i think i'm gonna take the easy option and get some of both lol and i assume they will shoal together (until they are more comfortable at least),
would 6 of each be too much for my 2 foot tank?

i've got 6 neons and one cardinal in my 2 foot tank.
it depends on what other fish you've got in there?

 

[deanrar]

only got albino corrys in there with them

 

[fiskkeeperpro]

i have found that cardinals are hardier. I got a shoal of 6 neons and 6 cardinals 2 years ago. Now i have no neons due to them dying and 4 cardinals left.

I also find that a caridnal shoal looks better as the red belly is more vibrant and so is the blue stripe. Just my experiences. Id go for the cardinals

Will

 

[jennybugs]

I have to say I have a shoal of both in one of my tanks and I prefer the cardinals purely because they have more colour. The neons are nice if you want a smaller bodied fish, but they aren't as hardy or robust as the cardinals. I had planned, as my neons died, to replace them with cardinals but as yet I still have full quota on both

 

[Iron Man]

Neons are much hardier than cardinals in my experience.