Tanichthys Alboneubes

Cardinal Gold (Tanichthys Alboneubes).

The cardinal is a small and very bright fish. It grows up to 4 cm in length, and the males are more slender and brighter than the females. The life expectancy of all small fish is short, and cardinals are no exception, they live 1-1.5 years. They live in the upper and middle layers of water, rarely descending to the lower ones.

The cardinal's genus is directed upward, which indicates its feeding method - it picks up insects from the surface of the water. There are no antennae, and the dorsal fin is located on the same line as the anal fin. The body is bronze-brown, with a fluorescent line running in the middle of the body from the eyes to the tail, where it ends with a black dot. There is a bright red spot on the tail, part of the tail is transparent. The belly is lighter than the rest of the body, the anal and dorsal fins also have red spots. There are several artificially bred colorings, such as albino and a variation with veil fins.

Care:

The cardinal is a very hardy and unpretentious species, and is well suited for beginner aquarists. The only peculiarity is that cardinals do not like warm water, preferring a temperature of 18-22 ° C. They can be kept in warmer water, but their lifespan will be reduced. It has also been noted that the color of the cardinal's body becomes much brighter if kept at a temperature lower than recommended for tropical fish, about 20 ° C.
In the aquarium, it is better to use dark soil, a large number of plants, as well as driftwood and stones. Leave free places for swimming, where there will be a lot of light and you will enjoy all the beauty of the cardinal's coloring. Water parameters are not very important (pH: 6.0 - 8.5), but it is important not to take it to extremes. Avoid using medications with copper, as cardinals are very sensitive to the copper content in the water. In Asia, cardinals are sometimes kept as pond fish, for beauty and to control mosquito populations. Remember that they should not be kept with large pond fish.

Feeding:

Cardinals will eat all types of food, such as live, frozen, flakes, and pellets. In the wild, they mainly feed on insects that fall to the surface of the water. In an aquarium, they eat small live food well - bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp, and various flakes. Remember that they have a very small mouth that points upwards, and it is difficult for them to eat large food from the bottom.