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I have a situation in my tank that I can't fiqure out.
I have a S.A tank with a school of 15 cardinals, 8 rummys, 2 angels, 2 rams, some ottos and dwarf plecos.

The school of cardinals I had for over a year without one death. Here's the problem. Everytime I try to increase the school to 20, I end up back at 15 within a month or so.
The strange thing is it's not necessary the new ones that are dying, but some of the ones that I considered rock solid. These has happened at least 3 times, that I've tried to increase the school.

Please don't say acclimation, because it's the old ones dying too. Possibly disease is geting into the group (but I don't see anything in the ones that die) or is there a limtation to the school size in my tank. The tank is a 46 gallon bowfront.

My Scapes

I am by no means an expert, but I do believe there is a maximum size for schools. The max seems to be based on tank size/swimming space.

It certainly sounds like you have found your tank's max for the cardinals. If I were you, I'd just leave them alone and enjoy the fact that your fish are happy with what they have.

That would mean that the tank is overstocked everytime you add new ones.

I definitely wouldn't try to make that big of a school in that size tank. The fish just don't have the space to swim together. It sounds completely stocked to me and overstocked compared to how I prefer to keep my tanks.

I cant even tell my cardnials apart to begin with.

I guess your probably right. What I really want to do is find a new home for my 2 Angels that have grown to larger than silver dollar size. If I remove these two angels do you think I could increase the school of cards. I would than have 15 cards, 8 rummynose, 2 dwarf rams and the rest are bottom feeders (dwarf plecos and otos).

The tank is heavily planted with pristine conditions.

My Scapes

sounds like a good idea

u could always try adding other tetra spieices maybe even neons if its the neon stripe ur after

green fire tetras compliment ur setup nicely

I would remove the angels and increase the size of your rummy nose school.

Tetratech how big is your tank?

He said it was a 46 gallon.

Although I love my rummynoses and they are easier to keep than the cardinals they don't show up as well in my setup.
What I'm after is a big school of cards in open space with plants that don't overwhelm the fish.

Last edited by tetratech at 26-May-2005 11:15

My Scapes