Are Cardinals Hardy?

What kind of behavior do cardinalfish have?

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of cardinalfish behavior (including PJs bout not limited to PJs), is that they are mouthbrooders. During a spawning event, the female releases her eggs, which the male quickly fertilizes (that much is true in most fish species).

What should a marine aquarist look for in cardinal fish?

A marine aquarist should watch the ammonia/nitrite levels of the environment, as cardinalfish are particularly sensitive to these chemicals. Black and silver striped with very tall fins and many white spots. Wild populations have been decimated, consider captive bred specimens.

What do cardinalfish eat?

One of the few groups of shoaling fish commonly available to marine aquarists, Cardinalfish are nocturnal and tend to be quite shy. They require meaty foods and will often not take prepared foods such as flakes and tablets.

What is a pajama fish?

The Pajama fish are shoaling fish that develop a hierarchy within the group. As mentioned earlier, the Pajama cardinalfish is a great choice for nearly any saltwater tank. They are relatively small, hardy, and acclimate well to life in an aquarium. If you can keep your water parameters consistent, they are likely to thrive.

Are Pajama Cardinals adaptable?

Pajama Cardinals are rugged fish that are fairly adaptable, but you should keep the water conditions consistent. Unexpected jumps in conditions, even within the acceptable ranges, can be detrimental to the health and well-being of your fish. Pajama Cardinals need faster currents, so a strong filtration system is a must.

How long does a cardinalfish live?

Common Names : Pajama Cardinal Fish, Spotted Cardinalfish Care Level : Easy to Moderate Size : Up to 3 inches (8 cm) Life span : 5 years, perhaps longer

What does a pajama cardinalfish look like?

The Pajama Cardinalfish is one of the most unique looking of all fish species. Why exactly do Pajama Cardinalfish have a solid vertical black bar mid-body with the red polka dots on a white body that looks like pajama bottoms? It’s surely their way of adapting to their environment, but what in the world…

How do you identify a cardinalfish?

It is easily differentiated from all other cardinalfishes by its tasseled first dorsal fin, elongated anal and second dorsal fin rays, deeply forked caudal fin, and color pattern consisting of three black bars across the head and body and prominent black anterior edges on the anal and second dorsal fin.

What happens if my Banggai cardinalfish end up breeding?

If your Banggai Cardinalfish end up breeding you may notice that the mouth on the male will be bulging at the jawline and they aren’t eating anything. They won’t even go after their favorite fish foods! The male will mouth brood the fish and then release them after 20 days or slightly longer.

How to choose a pajama cardinal fish?

Ask how long they’ve been in the tank and if it’s been a couple of weeks and they look good, they should be fine for selection. Diet / Foods : Mostly carnivorous, Pajama Cardinal Fish need frequent small feedings of meaty marine foods.

What is the difference between male and Female Banggai cardinalfish?

Gender : It can be difficult to determine the sexual differences between male and female banggai cardinalfish until they are ready to breed. The male’s lower jaw may be more rounded (for mouth brooding?) whereas the female’s jaw may be more straight lined. Another sign may be a much longer second dorsal fin on males.

How many species of cardinalfish are there in the West Indies?

Colin, P.L. and J.B. Heiser. 1973. Associations of two species of cardinalfishes (Apogonidae: Pisces) with sea anemones in the West Indies. Bulletin of Marine Science, 23:521-524.

Do cardinalfish get along with anemone?

The sawcheek cardinalfish (Apogon quadrisquamatus) and the bridle cardinalfish (A. aurolineatus) occasionally associate with the curley-cue anemone (Bartholomea annulata) and the condy anemone (Condylactis gigantea). However, it is not clear if they are able to make full contact with the tentacles.

What does a cardinal look like?

Smaller than a robin, the cardinal (cardinalis cardinalis) is 8 to 9 inches long from the tip of its bill to the tip of its tail. The adult male is all red except for the black mask at the base of the bill. The markings of the female are much more subdued. She has an olive-gray back, dull red-dish wings and crest, and soft pink-brown underparts.

What do Cardinals eat?

Cardinals eat a wide variety of food consisting mainly of insects, seeds, grains and fruits. Some of their favorites include pokeberry, poison ivy fruit, elm buds, box elder seeds, ragweed seeds, sunflower seeds, muskmelon seeds and corn.

Are Pajama Cardinals good for a saltwater tank?

Pajama Cardinals are a great choice for a midsize saltwater tank. They are reef compatible, have a colorful appearance, and it’s fun to watch them darting around the tank. They’re also peaceful residents who won’t bother others.

Do Pajama Cardinals mark their territory?

Pajama Cardinals do mark their territory and will find an area of the tank to claim as their home. Even when they go out for food or exploring, they return to their home spot. If there is a rock or coral pattern that has an overhang, you can bet they will choose that spot for their home base.

Why do pajama cardinalfish have a solid vertical black bar mid-body?

The Pajama Cardinalfish is one of the most unique looking of all fish species. Why exactly do Pajama Cardinalfish have a solid vertical black bar mid-body with the red polka dots on a white body that looks like pajama bottoms? It’s surely their way of adapting to their environment, but what in the world…

How can you tell the difference between a male and female cardinalfish?

The male can be distinguished from the female by an obvious, bigger mouth, which appears just when they are brooding. The Banggai cardinalfish is the only member of its household that is diurnal. It is a demersal tropical marine fish that forms steady groups of about 9 individuals in shallow water, being most typical at 1.5 to 2.5m in depth.

What is the difference between male and Female Banggai cardinal fish?

Gender : It can be difficult to determine the sexual differences between male and female banggai cardinalfish until they are ready to breed. The male’s lower jaw may be more rounded (for mouth brooding?) whereas the female’s jaw may be more straight lined. Another sign may be a much longer second dorsal fin on males.

Are Banggai cardinalfish aggressive?

Aggression As previously stated the Banggai Cardinalfish will not be aggressive to other fish in normal circumstances. They will however be aggressive to their own kind when not given enough space for different territories. You may keep two Banggai Cardinalfish in a small tank if they are a mated pair.

What do Banggai cardinalfish eat?

The Banggai Cardinal fish feeds mainly off copepods in the wild. In the home aquarium they can be slow to accept pellet or flake food but should take live or frozen foods right away. The majority of Banggai Cardinalfish will adapt to eating prepared foods once they recognize you as their feeder and understand when feeding time is.

What do you feed a spotted cardinalfish?

Feeding: The Spotted Cardinal fish requires a well balanced diet of meaty foods such as feeder shrimp, flake foods, pellet foods, marine flesh, bloodworms, and depending on its size, live feeder fish. Description: The Orbiculate Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia orbicularis) is a species of cardinalfish from the Apogonidae family.

What do black cardinals eat?

Feeding: The Black Cardinalfish requires a well balanced diet of meaty foods such as feeder shrimp, flake foods, pellet foods, marine flesh, bloodworms, and depending on its size, live feeder fish.

Are Banggai cardinalfish good for aquariums?

Banggai Cardinalfish have successfully been bred in captivity at scale since 2016, which has decreased the amount of wild-harvested fish needed to meet the demands of the aquarium trade and lowered the cost of the fish. Aquacultured specimens are often better suited for aquarium life as they are adjusted to the aquarium environment from birth.

Is it worth breeding a cardinalfish?

His cardinalfish breeding articles are well worth the read if you are the least bit interested in breeding this fish. This species is heavily exploited for the aquarium trade and is only found in a limited area. Try to buy captive bred specimens when possible and it is definitely worth paying more for the captive raised species!