Cardinal Tetras At Night?? - Aquarium Advice

yv1 · 07-24-2003, 01:55 AM

I was just wondering.....do cardinals lose their red stripe at night???? when they sleep ???

My cardinals are all beautifully colored during the day but when the lights are off and i turn em back on real quick just to peek they have no red in them...Is this normal for this fish???

This is my first time keeping them and they've survived 2 tank disasters so I think im doing okay with keeping them alive...Ive heard about the neon tetra disease but i read cardinals dont get affected by it.

Anyone know anything about this?? Thanks!!!

shawmutt · 07-24-2003, 09:14 AM

Quote:

do cardinals lose their red stripe at night????

Mine do, I was very alarmed the first night, and I thought for sure they had ntd and would all die by morning. They've been fine for many months now. I haven't done any research on this, but I'm assuming it's normal.

Quote:

Ive heard about the neon tetra disease but i read cardinals dont get affected by it.

Yes they do, it can be introduced via a neon tetra that has it. They have to eat the dead neon though

Vanilla Magilla · 07-24-2003, 10:49 AM

My Neons and Blue Rams both do it. It is almost like waking them up for school. They soon get there color back and move about normal.

tkos · 07-24-2003, 11:23 AM

My flying foxes and chocolate gourami turn pure white after lights out. I think it may happen to a lot of fish.

lmw80 · 07-24-2003, 11:31 AM

My neon tetras lose their color at night too. When I first got them, I thought they were all dying!! Plus, in the morning after I turn the light on, it takes them a few minutes to get adjusted and start swimming around. They hit the snooze button a couple of times, like their owner, lol...

yv1 · 07-24-2003, 01:39 PM

oooh i better keep neons away so they dont get the disease.

thanks everyone i thought maybe they were dying secretly or something. :P guess its something fish do as a defense mechanism...pretty cool.

whew. weird that only the red turns white and the blue stripe is blue as ever....when i know deep sea fishes/animals are sometimes colored bright bright red because in the dark it makes them invisible and non reflective. (discovery's blue planet is a great series to own)

lmw80 · 07-24-2003, 02:24 PM

yv1 - I have Blue Planet on DVD!

Calcifer10000 · 07-24-2003, 03:15 PM

You know, I think my red beta does something along those lines, like your cardinals. I was alarmed that its bright red had faded until it was practically white when I turned on the light at night.

Guess it's natural!

reberly · 07-24-2003, 05:43 PM

Our blue zebra cichlid does the opposite thing, he gets VERY dark when the lights are off. When I first turn the lights on, he actually has dark zebra-type stripes. By the time evening rolls around, he's just pure neon blue. He (she?) is my favorite fish.

Ryan

littlelouie · 07-24-2003, 07:56 PM

Yeh my cardinals do the same but when they're "on" they look magnificent. I would love to have 5 more of them in my tank :P

Louise

07-24-2003, 01:55 AM	#1
yv1 Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 116 Images: 20	Cardinal Tetras At Night?? I was just wondering.....do cardinals lose their red stripe at night???? when they sleep ??? My cardinals are all beautifully colored during the day but when the lights are off and i turn em back on real quick just to peek they have no red in them...Is this normal for this fish??? This is my first time keeping them and they've survived 2 tank disasters so I think im doing okay with keeping them alive...Ive heard about the neon tetra disease but i read cardinals dont get affected by it. Anyone know anything about this?? Thanks!!!

07-24-2003, 11:31 AM	#5
lmw80 Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bristol, Pa Posts: 4,805 Images: 40	My neon tetras lose their color at night too. When I first got them, I thought they were all dying!! Plus, in the morning after I turn the light on, it takes them a few minutes to get adjusted and start swimming around. They hit the snooze button a couple of times, like their owner, lol... __________________ -Lori Join the Eastern PA/Greater Philadelphia Forum! Click here: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/groupcp.php?g=7825 Aquariums are like jello - there's always room for more.

07-24-2003, 02:24 PM	#7
lmw80 Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bristol, Pa Posts: 4,805 Images: 40	yv1 - I have Blue Planet on DVD! __________________ -Lori Join the Eastern PA/Greater Philadelphia Forum! Click here: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/groupcp.php?g=7825 Aquariums are like jello - there's always room for more.

07-24-2003, 03:15 PM	#8
Calcifer10000 Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: PA, USA Posts: 46	You know, I think my red beta does something along those lines, like your cardinals. I was alarmed that its bright red had faded until it was practically white when I turned on the light at night. Guess it's natural! __________________ ~~~ Life is just a chain event Every action is a link Fate flies as though divinely sent But is more earthly than you think "...It's not like I drifted here on the tides of fate. I'm here because I chose to be here." --Irvine Kinneas, FF8 "Swimming through a sea of hurt; My life, my pride is stronger..." --Linkin Park ~~~

07-24-2003, 05:43 PM	#9
reberly Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: May 2003 Location: Oxford, OH Posts: 151 Images: 1	Our blue zebra cichlid does the opposite thing, he gets VERY dark when the lights are off. When I first turn the lights on, he actually has dark zebra-type stripes. By the time evening rolls around, he's just pure neon blue. He (she?) is my favorite fish. Ryan __________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------- "Yeah, well, sometimes nothin can be a real cool hand... "

07-24-2003, 10:49 AM	#3
Vanilla Magilla Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 59	My Neons and Blue Rams both do it. It is almost like waking them up for school. They soon get there color back and move about normal.

07-24-2003, 11:23 AM	#4
tkos Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 1,423	My flying foxes and chocolate gourami turn pure white after lights out. I think it may happen to a lot of fish.

07-24-2003, 01:39 PM	#6
yv1 Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 116 Images: 20	oooh i better keep neons away so they dont get the disease. thanks everyone i thought maybe they were dying secretly or something. :P guess its something fish do as a defense mechanism...pretty cool. whew. weird that only the red turns white and the blue stripe is blue as ever....when i know deep sea fishes/animals are sometimes colored bright bright red because in the dark it makes them invisible and non reflective. (discovery's blue planet is a great series to own)

07-24-2003, 07:56 PM	#10
littlelouie Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: May 2003 Location: AUSTRALIA Posts: 225 Images: 9	Yeh my cardinals do the same but when they're "on" they look magnificent. I would love to have 5 more of them in my tank :P Louise __________________ >)))> Knowledge = Keeping my fish alive<(((<

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