cardinal tetras not eating

**Entichers** · 4th Jul 2010, 12:33

I once kept cardinals with an angelfish and whenever it was feeding time, the cardinals would run to the other corner(even in a school) the moment the angelfish came close to them. Is it the same for you?

**jhseah** · 4th Jul 2010, 15:29

Originally Posted by Entichers

I once kept cardinals with an angelfish and whenever it was feeding time, the cardinals would run to the other corner(even in a school) the moment the angelfish came close to them. Is it the same for you?

The Angelfish is the predator and cardinals are the prey, they hiding away from the angelfish, natural instinct.

**tsubasa28** · 4th Jul 2010, 17:58

i got 2 types of substrate in the tank. mainly ada soil and a little of those regular white sand in the foreground. this is how it looks like.

I am not sure if the glass fishes have been preying on my tetras but now that i have one tetra left i don't see anything happening to it.

My guess is the water condition problem. It is a new tank running for slightly over 2 weeks and I think I haven't got the right amounts of ammonia detox in and maybe too much of seachem excel. Still baffled by the new layer of dirt/oil on the water. keeps coming back after i cleared it.

**d2hpeter** · 4th Jul 2010, 18:39

Originally Posted by tsubasa28

i got 2 types of substrate in the tank. mainly ada soil and a little of those regular white sand in the foreground. this is how it looks like.

I am not sure if the glass fishes have been preying on my tetras but now that i have one tetra left i don't see anything happening to it.

My guess is the water condition problem. It is a new tank running for slightly over 2 weeks and I think I haven't got the right amounts of ammonia detox in and maybe too much of seachem excel. Still baffled by the new layer of dirt/oil on the water. keeps coming back after i cleared it.

has to be careful with the excel. I had some bad experience with it before due to overdose. Fish behavior suddenly change, feeling very stressed and darting around, mostly going up to the surface. Be extremely careful with the dosing.

**barmby** · 5th Jul 2010, 09:23

Try having lily pipe - create some movement (O2) on the water surface will help to remove the oil stain. It is perfectly normal to have the stain.

Very low pH is sometime associated with acidic items like ammonia, ammonium and etc. Frequent and small amount of water change will help to eradicate the issue.

If I am not wrong (prediction), the plants in the tank will soon all die except the fern. This is due to lack of CO2. Excel not counted, it is merely acting as a supplement. Maybe the plants are already started dying - therefore the water column is very acidic.

**tsubasa28** · 5th Jul 2010, 11:15

yes you got it spot on barmby. the plant on the right of the picture (sorry but i don't know the name) is dying. the java fern and hair grass is still going strong though. just that the hair grass is not growing much.

so that explains water becoming more acidic. what is a lily pipe? how does it work?

thanks alot.

**barmby** · 5th Jul 2010, 11:25

This is a Lily pipe.

Taken from www.adana.co.jp

See http://www.adana.co.jp/_e_product/58_index.html

Click the PDF file. You will learn more. http://www.adana.co.jp/_e_product/pdf/LILY_PIPE.pdf

**tsubasa28** · 6th Jul 2010, 06:33

alright. thanks for the help barmby.

but the lily pipe sounds like going high tech. hah.

**barmby** · 6th Jul 2010, 09:11

Hairgrass and Downoi need high tech set up though.

This current setup will continue to fail you unless
1) change the type of plant to "easy level" plant
2) change the set-up

**kennyseah17** · 8th Jul 2010, 02:16

i used to have 2 neon tetras.. when i put them into my new 2 tank. they do not eat as well and would always hide .. then i bought some cardinals.. I think a bigger group gave them more courage.. now all the tetras eats like piranahs when i throw in pellets.. haha

I limit to feeding once a day max..