Yellow Striped Cardinalfish

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Peaceful   • Maximum Size: 3"
• Minimum Tank Size: 12 gallons   • Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
• Diet: Carnivore   • Origin: Indo-Pacific
• Family: Apogonidae   • Species: Cardinalfish   • Aquarium Type: Reef Compatible

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Yellow Striped Cardinalfish are found inhabiting coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific and Fiji regions of the Pacific Ocean. In the wild they are typically found in small shoals that allow the fish to utilize their stripes and color pattern to help provide them safety from possible predators. In a group, their stripes and false eyespot near their tail is used to confuse predators as to which direction they will be moving, thus making it difficult for the predatory to predict their movements when trying to gulp them down.

While the Yellow Striped Cardinalfish lives in larger groups in the wild, it is quite at home in smaller groups, pairs or even single specimens within the aquarium environment where safety from predators is not foremost on their minds. This species exhibits very brilliant metallic coloration that will fade a small bit with age, but can be kept bright and vibrant if they are fed a diet of quality meaty marine foodstuffs.

The Yellow Striped Cardinalfish is an excellent specimen for smaller reef or community aquariums and Nano Reefs. Their smaller size, active swimming and vibrant colors have made this species a very attractive choice for Nano Reef hobbyists as they add a lot of movement and color to the aquarium without adding a large bio-load to the filtration.

Yellow Striped Cardinalfish will appreciate plenty of live rock or corals in which to swim nearby, which will give them a solid sense of protection as they will have a place to retreat to if threatened. This species does well in pairs, groups or as a single specimen. If kept in groups the Yellow Striped Cardinalfish will establish a social hierarchy; however, this is usually done peacefully and with little to now squabbling amongst the group members.

Yellow Striped Cardinalfish require a varied diet consisting of high quality meaty marine foods including: carnivore flake and freeze-dried preparations, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, bloodworms and other meaty marine flesh items like chopped fish or mussels.