Cardinal and Neon Tetras?

Cleo1668 · Member Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 53 Location: NJ

When I set up my 20 gallon long tank, I planned on having a school of Cardinal Tetras. I bought 10 and half of them died within the first week. I bought a few more and a few more died again. I got tired of losing fish so I decided to buy some Neon Tetras because they are a bit hardier. Anyway, to make a long story short, I now have 4 Cardinal Tetras and 3 Neon Tetras.
I know that you’re supposed to have a group of 6 or more of these particular tetras. Even though they’re two different species, they look so similar that I wonder if they even know they are different. They all stay together as a group and act as one species.
I also have 6 Rummy nose Tetras in the tank.
Has anyone ever kept Cardinal and Neon’s like this before?

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3437

I've never kept cardinals before, but I have kept neons and glowlights before and they pretty much stuck together so I think your cardinals and neons should be fine.

-Chelle

Cleo1668 · Member Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 53 Location: NJ

Thanks

. I hope so too.

kc5gvn · Moderator Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 1147

Cardinals and Neons will get along fine. From my experience Cardinals are much hardier than Neons.

Cleo1668 · Member Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 53 Location: NJ

kc5gvn · Moderator Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 1147

Since most of my experience with Cardinals and Neons was in a shop environment I can't tell you for sure about interbreeding. Generally we kept Cardinals and Neons separated since it is so hard to sort them out when you sell one. Also shop conditions are not condusive for breeding. I have had suppliers and breeders tell me that they will interbreed but the resulting color is more like a Cardinal with the red color appearing slightly faded.

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3437

I've never kept cardinals, but I have had absolutely horrible luck with neons. I've never been able to keep them alive for more than a few months. They either got sick for no apparent reason, got neon tetra disease, or killed eachother.

-Chelle

kc5gvn · Moderator Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 1147

Neons are a love/hate situation for me. I love the way they look streaking through the water in a school. It's absolutely beautiful. The problem with Neons from my experience is the difficulty in keeping them alive. They are exacting on their water conditions. The only people that I have known that have had what I call success in keeping them, kept them in a species only tank and were meticulous about the water conditions. Also, Blackwater Tonic from what I have been told is a must in keeping them alive. From what I can tell they are the most demanding fish with regard to water conditions, even more so than Discus.