# cardinal tetra problems



## Unicorn fish (Feb 19, 2016)

I set up my cycled 20 gallon tank a few months ago and have slowly been adding fish in. I currently have 5 lampchop rasboras (have to get 1 or 2 more) and 3 cardinal tetras.Today i went to my LFS to get 3 more to finish the school. They were noticeably smaller than my existing ones, but that's what they had. While acclimating and introducing them everything seemed to be going fine, but when i left the tank for an hour or so i came back to one of the new ones dead. The other two were extremely pale and had no coloration at all. They were both split up, and my three existing ones were not schooling with them. I then took them both out, and had them floating in a small container in the tank. while they were together they regained their coloring and were acting normal and swimming around. I released them and after a little bit the same thing happened, they were by themselves and looked a bit deathly. Did the existing school reject them or something? I don't know if they have a disease because when they were together they seemed fine and were doing better. Any help is appreciated thank you all.


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## Unicorn fish (Feb 19, 2016)

forgot to mention but i checked my water and everything was fine


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## Tsin21 (Aug 30, 2017)

They might not be comfortable with your older tetras due to size difference. My new cardinal tetras are also paler than my older ones when I first got them and have since regained their color through varied diet. Though mine of roughly the same size as the older ones.


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## Unicorn fish (Feb 19, 2016)

okay thank you. Since i first got them 2 have died, but the smallest new tetra is doing fine and schooling with the group.


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