Pajama cardinalfish concerns - better in a group?

[csammis]

I got a group of three pajama cardinalfish a couple months ago. QT went just fine. There were no signs of stress and all of them ate normally. When I added them to the DT (they were the first fish in) the smallest of the three seemed to stop eating and it and two weeks later it died. Things were okay for a week or so after but then the larger of the remaining two started bullying the smaller - chasing and fin nipping mostly. That one turned up dead yesterday.

My question: do pajama cardinals do better either by themselves or in larger groups, 3-5 individuals or something like that? If they do better in groups is it a matter of bullying by larger fish being spread around more individuals? Or are they usually peaceful and I just managed to get a jerk and two weaker fish?

Tank info:

93g cube + 30g sump / refugium
SG: 1.024
Nitrate/nitrite/ammonia: 0
PO4: 0
pH: 7.9
KH: 7
Mg: 1360
Ca: 472
Temp: 80
Current inhabitants: one each lawnmower blenny, purple firefish, pajama cardinal; snails

 

[Booboobear259]

I think that more that one looks cooler but they don't nessecarily need a school. I suppose it would be better in a group

 

[Dmorty217]

Pajama cardinals don't school, but will pair up

 

[Dmorty217]

Ah St John, my favorite place to go on vacation... Do me a favor BooBoobear, go to the soggy dollar and drink a Pain Killer for me!

 

[ca1ore]

Hmmm, maybe just bad luck. I've kept pajamas many times, always as a trio, and with very few problems. I find them to be extremely passive and timid. Maybe tank size is an issue, dunno, as I have always had them in a big tank.

 

[justthewife]

When I got mine I was told to look for one with a longer top back fin and one with a shorter back top fin (this one supposedly being a female). I don't know for sure but it worked for me

 

[snorvich]

Pajama cardinals don't school, but will pair up

This. Initially they will aggregate (but not school) and eventually will pair up. Which disappoints those looking for a schooling or shoaling fish group.

 

[Fallling]

Someone on my local / regional forum was selling a group of 5 and said they were schooling. I tried to get them, but someone else beat me to it, so I can't confirm if they were truly schooling or not. At any rate, the person had them for sometime, and they all got along fine (they made a point of selling them all together as a group).