# Cardinal Tetra Feeding?



## jeepguy (Jul 24, 2013)

Yes. You should provide a mixed diet. I vary my fish's diet between flakes, freeze dried brine shrimp and blood worms, tubifex worms, krill, frozen sprirulina, and frozen beef heart occasionally. Better for the fish. I also feed twice daily. As long as you see the cardinals are eating the brine shrimp it is fine. Their natural diet is tiny crustaceans and insect. 
I would be careful putting that many cardinals(10) in a ten gallon. Unless you r experienced and willing to perform frequent maintenance you may experience water quality issues imho.


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## NeonFlux (Apr 10, 2008)

+1 invisible thumbs up for jeepguy's post.


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## Nestle_ (Jul 4, 2013)

I agree with them, feeding flake is the cheapest thing to feed them, and in small feedings is best for them. The usually reason the lfs suggest live food like that more often then they should, is because it makes them bookoo money, no offense to those out here who do sell them, but we all know its true. 
BBS are of good size for nearly all South American fish including all tetras, rams, cichlids, and even the few carnivorous pleco's will take them. This also includes bloodworms and black worms. Mircoworms are the other common live food, and truly are to small for the larger adult sized fish. Though smaller/subadult fish including sub adult tetras may be all for them, I have yet to test this but will in a few weeks when I pick up some small/sub adult cardinals myself.

To summarize:
Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday - Flake, small amounts twice a day.
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday - live/frozen food, changing it up between BBS and bloodworms. You'll soon find your favorite brand to buy for the quality/quanity/price/availability.

Hope this helps.


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## JerSaint (Oct 22, 2012)

I have had my school of 11 for about a year eating mostly NLS small pellets. I feed a variety of frozen foods to mix things up once or twice a week. I like a school of 5 in a 10 gallon as long as you have sufficient filtration and do weekly water changes.


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## crazymittens (Jun 4, 2012)

I've had all my fish on flake, over a year now, no issues. Except they murdered (decapitated) all my shrimp...maybe a flake-only diet turns them into cardinal assassin fish.


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## Cynical Fish Guy (Feb 19, 2012)

I used to love feeding my adult H. Rasboras and Neon Tetras BBS. They gobble them up, and the colors of the fish really really come out. If you buy the eggs online BBS aren't that expensive. The adult fish eat them and actively hunt BBS, and a netful will satisfy them, though I agree with the posts above, you should vary their diets. Once every two weeks or bi-monthly feedings of brine shrimp should suffice, and leave you with gorgeous and spectacular looking fish!


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## Cynical Fish Guy (Feb 19, 2012)

Yes, if you have shrimp of any kind as pets in the tank, you don't want to give your fish the taste of BBS, they may in fact turn and eat your pet shrimp.....but the fish colors will look amazing after the shrimp are eaten :icon_evil LOL- I know this fom experience too!


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