<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11760383#post11760383 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
Marshall, can you discuss the cardinalfish more? Like how long you have had them, how many, and generally what are their behaviors? How do they react to the larger fish?
I would like to put a large school of small fish in my system and have been primarily interested in the red spot cardinalfish, but it seems they are never available in the US. I am looking in the 40 - 50 fish range, but I don't want them to just become anemone food or hide all day.
Jonathan, dang I missed your post too, my bad.
The cardinals hang pretty tight to the rock work 75% of the time. But right in front. I've had 3 of them for 6 months or so, and added 4 more a month or so ago. They are very peaceful fish that establish heirarchy non-aggressively. They don't bother anybody and I only see the Majestic chase them briefly and very seldom. The typically school fairly well, but there seems to always be one or two as the odd man out. Hanging by itself or a solo pair. As you see in the pic previously posted, there are only 6 schooled up, I have 7, the other hangs with the chalk basslet in his rock cave. Feeding time they're one happy family again. I think you'd have trouble finding more than 7 or 8 at a time of the glass cards, I've never been able to get more than 4. Very sporadic availability. Adding them in groups to established schools doesn't seem to be an issue however.
For a very large school, personally, I've got 9 of the blue/green reef chromis and they always stay in a tight group. Move through the current like a flock of birds, and add wonderful movement and amazing color. They devolope a flourescent blue stripe above the mouth and around the eye when well fed. Quite a striking fish actually, not your typical damsel.
This is really a bad pic, but you can just make out the stripe from the mouth to the eye and the ring around the eye.
A little bickering among themselves occasionally, about bed time they start fighting over sleeping position in the A. loripes, but they short lived spats. I'm pondering the idea of adding another 10-15 for a really large school. What I've read about keeping a healthy group of these for long term is that you have to treat them like anthias and feed them multiple times a day. Supposedly keeps their aggression down and stops them from picking on each other.
Occasionally, the chromis and cards will all school together for an hour or so. Very impressive to see a large school like that. Makes me want to add a bunch more of both. A large school of something was one of my goals with the new tank. I had very few fish previously, and I missed the movement and color they add.
Marshal
