Good sources of meaty marine protein for Cardinal Pajamas include:
- Bloodworms
- Feeder Shrimp
- Marine Flesh
- Small Feeder Fish
What do pajama cardinalfish eat?
Pajama Cardinalfish will consume a variety of different food types. In nature their diet consists of small crustaceans, which they hunt at night. In the aquarium they prefer a meaty diet of frozen food such as mysis shrimp and brine shrimp. However, they will also eat pellets and flake food.
How do I know if my Pajama cardinal is healthy?
Ask how long they've been in the tank and if it's been a couple of weeks and they look good, they should be fine for selection. Diet / Foods : Mostly carnivorous, Pajama Cardinal Fish need frequent small feedings of meaty marine foods.
Can you keep Pajama Cardinals with other fish?
However, you do need to be mindful of the other fish in the tank. Pajama Cardinals absolutely can not be kept with larger predatory fish, as the aggressive fish will view your Pajama Cardinal as a snack; you could lose the entire shoal.
What size tank for a pajama Cardinals?
30 gallons is the minimum recommended tank size for a small school of Pajama Cardinals. If you are housing a larger school or other species in a community tank, you’ll have to go up in size from there.
How many pajama cardinals should I get?
Since these are naturally peaceful shoaling fish, it is recommended that you keep 3 or 5 individuals to enable the most natural behaviors and the security/safety of a shoal. Given their relatively small size, individuals can be kept in tanks 20-gallons or more in volume.
How many pajama cardinals are in a 30 gallon tank?
How Many Pajama Cardinalfish to Place in a Tank? Although Pajama Cardinals can live independently, We can keep them in the tank as a school of 4 to 6 fish. It allows them to form breeding pairs and quickly adjust to their new environment. They also become less susceptible to aggressive bullies.
Are pajama cardinals hardy fish?
The Pajama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera, Bleeker, 1856) is a colorful, hardy fish that fits well in most aquariums. Its peaceful disposition, unique, eye-catching patterns, and ability to accept a wide variety of foods all make it ideal for all levels of aquarists.
What can I feed my cardinal fish?
In aquariums, it should be fed a well balanced diet of meaty foods, such as feeder shrimps, marine flesh, bloodworms, and depending on its size, liver feeder fish ("Kaudern's Cardinal - Tank-Bred"). It cannot eat dry prepared foods, such as pellets and flakes.
How long do cardinal fish live?
Lifespan & Reproduction The Banggai cardinalfish life span is approximately 2.5 to 3 years with a maximum lifespan of up to 5 years.
Can you mix cardinal fish?
You can go with a pair, but Pajama Cardinals will be happier in a group of at least 6. These fish are ideal for both small and large aquarium communities and are peaceful creatures that will not bully others in the tank. However, you do need to be mindful of the other fish in the tank.
How many fish can be in a cardinal tank?
How many fish can be in a cardinal tank? It's generally advisable that you set up a tank of around 30 gallons for these fish. However, to start with, a 20 gallon tank may be enough. The general rule of thumb for keeping any fish in a home saltwater tank is that there should be around two gallons per one inch of fish.
Are pajama cardinals reef safe?
Be sure your tank has plenty of live rock or plants for hiding during the day, as the Pajama Cardinal is a nocturnal species and more active at night. This species is completely reef safe and should not bother corals, clams, or other invertebrates.
Can you have more than one Banggai cardinal?
You may be able to keep multiple Banggai Cardinalfish in the same tank if it is sufficiently large enough. If you cramp multiples into a smaller tank you will probably see aggression among them, especially once a pair has formed.
Are cardinal fish easy to keep?
They generally do so well in captivity that they are one of the easiest species to breed in the home aquarium.
What do baby cardinal fish eat?
First they must grow on their diet of mysid shrimp and other miniature delicacies. But be sure to look for their parents in the Living Coral exhibit.
How do cardinals breed?
Banggai cardinalfish reproduction begins when the female courts the male with a dance. She then releases about 40 eggs—which are all connected by filaments and referred to as a clutch—from her body and into the water, where they are fertilized by the male. Within seconds, he sucks up all the eggs into his mouth!
How many fish can be in a cardinal tank?
How many fish can be in a cardinal tank? It's generally advisable that you set up a tank of around 30 gallons for these fish. However, to start with, a 20 gallon tank may be enough. The general rule of thumb for keeping any fish in a home saltwater tank is that there should be around two gallons per one inch of fish.
How big do Banggai cardinal fish get?
about 3 inchesThe Banggai, along with most others in the cardinalfish family, feeds on plankton and small, bottom-dwelling crustaceans. This species reaches about 3 inches in total length. Banggai cardinalfish were introduced into the pet trade in the 1990s and are popular in home aquariums.
Are Pajama Cardinal reef safe?
Be sure your tank has plenty of live rock or plants for hiding during the day, as the Pajama Cardinal is a nocturnal species and more active at night. This species is completely reef safe and should not bother corals, clams, or other invertebrates.
Are Banggai Cardinalfish schooling fish?
will not school. conspecifics will kill each other. 1 pair will get together and kill all the other ones in the tank.
How many gallons of water do pajama cardinals need?
30 gallons is the minimum recommended tank size for a small school of Pajama Cardinals. If you are housing a larger school or other species in a community tank, you’ll have to go up in size from there.
What is a pajama cardinal?
The Pajama Cardinal, also known as the Spotted Cardinal or Pajama Cardinalfish, is a mid-tank schooling fish. You can go with a pair, but Pajama Cardinals will be happier in a group of at least 6. These fish are ideal for both small and large aquarium communities and are peaceful creatures that will not bully others in the tank.
Why are pajama cardinals so colorful?
One of the reasons that Pajama Cardinals are unable to fully hide is that they are so colorful! Wow, a small school of these fish will really enhance the aesthetic appeal of your aquarium. Their bodies are silver, but they have many colorful accents, including a black patch located by the dorsal fin and a greenish-yellow face with big orange eyes. The back part of this colorful fish has orange polka dots.
Where do pajama cardinals live?
Overview. Pajama Cardinals, the scientific name Sphaeramia nematoptera, are native to the Western Pacific Ocean. Not listed as an endangered or vulnerable species, Pajama Cardinals can be found happily swimming all the way from Fiji to Java.
Do pajama cardinals mark their territory?
Pajama Cardinals do mark their territory and will find an area of the tank to claim as their home. Even when they go out for food or exploring, they return to their home spot. If there is a rock or coral pattern that has an overhang, you can bet they will choose that spot for their home base.
Can you keep a pajama cardinal with a predatory fish?
Pajama Cardinals absolutely can not be kept with larger predatory fish, as the aggressive fish will view your Pajama Cardinal as a snack; you could lose the entire shoal. If you are considering staggering active times when curating your tank, you should know that Pajama Cardinals are nocturnal, and will be much more active at night. ...
Do pajama cardinals get aggressive?
Pajama Cardinals are peaceful creatures with others as well as their own kind. However, the males do get somewhat aggressive when they are breeding . By that I mean they are hostile, but not violent.
How to keep a pyjama cardinalfish?
They are nocturnal, which is evident from their big eyes. At night they split off from their groups and hunt for food by themselves. They are best kept in Aquariums of 30 gallons or more. Due to their peaceful nature they should not be kept with aggressive fish.
Where do pajama cardinals come from?
Pajama Cardinalfish originates from the Coral Sea in the Indo-Pacific area and can be found in areas around Northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Indonesia.
What color is the face of a pajama cardinal?
They have a yellow-greenish face and a mid-body black band that runs from the first dorsal fin to the pectoral fin. The black band is a camouflage feature that helps them blend in between spines sea urchins and coral structures. Another interesting fact about the Pajama Cardinals is that they are mouth brooders.
Why are cardinal fish called polka dots?
They are sometimes called polka-dot cardinalfish due to a pattern of round spots on the posterior part of their body. The “polka-dots” are black on early juvenile fish, but turns red as the fish grow. They have a yellow-greenish face and a mid-body black band that runs from the first dorsal fin to the pectoral fin.
What do squid eat?
In nature their diet consists of small crustaceans, which they hunt at night. In the aquarium they prefer a meaty diet of frozen food such as mysis shrimp and brine shrimp. However, they will also eat pellets and flake food.
What do cardinals eat?
With a carnivorous diet, feed your cardinal a diet of vitamin enriched brine and mysis shrimp, other finely chopped meaty portions and quality pellet and flake food . These fish adapt easily to captive feeding, however, in order to prevent eating difficulties, it’s best to feed at night when they are most active. Pajama cardinals should be fed 4-6 times per week. These fish are very easy to care for and would be a great choice for a beginner aquarist.
What is a pajama cardinal?
The Pajama Cardinal is a smaller species and a slower swimmer. These fish are extremely peaceful in nature and very social. Keep them with other reef safe and peaceful fish. Cardinal fish do best in small groups or schools, a 30-gallon aquarium should allow for this behavior. They can grow to be about 3.5 inches when fully mature. Due to their timid nature, these fish are great to house with Seahorses and Pipefish. Be sure your tank has plenty of live rock or plants for hiding during the day, as the Pajama Cardinal is a nocturnal species and more active at night. This species is completely reef safe and should not bother corals, clams, or other invertebrates.
What color are pajama cardinals?
They also have bright red eyes making the Pajama Cardinalfish extremely colorful unlike the Banggai Cardinalfish. The pajama’s head is a bright yellow or silver, with black stripe continuing down where dorsal fin is. behind the spotted back end of red brown dots. front and two pectoral fins are vibrant while other mostly clear inconspicuous. so many different colors intensities on its body, no wonder Pajama Cardinalfish is commonly picked for a mid sized marine aquarium.
How long do pajama cardinals live?
You can expect the Pajama Cardinalfish to live up to four years. They are very hardy fish and make for great starter fish in new tanks.
What is the most common food that is frozen?
Frozen foods, the most common being mysis shrimp, brine shrimp and bloodworms
Do pajama cardinals have aggression?
The Pajama Cardinalfish will almost never show any amount of aggression. They may have issues with similar fish, such as other breeds of cardinalfish, however they are the most peaceful of their species. That being said they are much more likely to be bullied rather than bully fish themselves.
Do cardinalfish live in coral?
Cardinalfish, both when alone or when placed in the tank with a school, will often find an open area and make it their home. They will spend most of their time floating around that one spot, making short trips around the tank before returning home. They also enjoy areas under an overhanging rock or corals, but these areas are likely to be taken by other fish if the Pajama Cardinalfish is not introduced before territories are established.
Can a pajama cardinal fish fight?
One of the issues you may run into when feeding is an aggressive competitor. The Pajama Cardinalfish will not fight with other fish to get food. If you notice they are not being allowed to eat try feeding on the opposite sides of the tank at the same time. Once chased away the cardinals will find the second set of food and be free to eat in peace.
Do pajama cardinals jump?
As with all new fish be sure to have a tight fitting lid. The Pajama Cardinalfish doesn’t jump often but any new fish could be startled and jump to escape even the most harmless of tankmates.
What do pajama fish eat?
Diet / Foods : Mostly carnivorous, Pajama Cardinal Fish need frequent small feedings of meaty marine foods. Like other species a varied high quality diet will go a long way toward keeping them healthy and vibrant. Tank Region : Seems to like to congregate in the middle levels near overhangs or crevices in the live rock.
How big do pajama fish get?
Pajama Cardinal Fish get to be about 3 inches (8 cm) ...
What fish has a black bar?
The Pajama Cardinalfish is one of the most unique looking of all fish species. Why exactly do Pajama Cardinalfish have a solid vertical black bar mid-body with the red polka dots on a white body that looks like pajama bottoms? It's surely their way of adapting to their environment, but what in the world...
Do cardinal fish grow on you?
Overall, this is a fascinating little cardinalfish species that really grows on you . Check them out and if you get them to breed send us some pictures or post in the forum and tell others about it. The more Pajama Cardinal Fish tank raised specimens out there for hobbyists to purchase the better!
Can you feed brine shrimp?
Feeding them can be slightly challenging at first. They may not go after flake foods and if that is the case try giving them defrosted or live brine shrimp or mysis shrimp. Try to get them on a good high quality flake food and feed them frequent small amounts of various foods to maintain health and vigor.
Can a pajama fish breed with a banggai?
Breeding : The Pajama Cardinal fish doesn't seem to be as popular for breeding as the Banggai Cardinal but they should be just as "easy". They are mouthbrooders like the Banggais. Getting a pair can be achieved by purchasing 4 to 6 pajamas and then letting them pair off as they grow into adulthood.
How much does a pajama cardinal fish cost?
Most of the stores I’ve visited order them–including the big box store that carries saltwater fish. They are also relatively inexpensive, priced around $15 each (give or take).
What is a pajama cardinal fish?
The Pajama Cardinalfish is a small saltwater aquarium fish that is nearly perfect for almost any tank. Visitors may wonder if the colors and patterns are real. Beginners will appreciate how easy it is to take care of them. They will get along with just about any other fish (that won’t try to eat them) and may even pair up and breed in your tank.
What do pajama fish eat?
If you keep your tank cared for then, this species will even naturally start to breed. S. nematoptera is an excellent pick for beginners who have always wanted to raise fry to adulthood. All the larva of the Pajama fish require is to be a natural diet of rotifers and microalgae to survive. Keep in mind that this species is a unique mouthbrooder who houses there eggs inside of their mouths.
How often do pajama fish spawn?
The first few times a male carries his eggs, he will most likely drop or swallow them out of fear or malnutrition. The Pajama fish will spawn every two weeks in the right conditions giving him plenty of attempts to master mouthbrooding.
What to look for when picking a fish?
If you are shopping at a local fish store and can pick your preferred fish, you want to look for the following: Clear eyes (not cloudy or white) Full fins (not torn or frayed) Extended fins (not clamped down tight with the body)
Can pajama cardinals live in saltwater?
As mentioned earlier, the Pajama cardinalfish is a great choice for nearly any saltwater tank. They are relatively small, hardy, and acclimate well to life in an aquarium. If you can keep your water parameters consistent, they are likely to thrive. Like most other saltwater fish from a tropical reef, they prefer the following conditions:
Can cardinal fish live in saltwater?
There are a few interesting cardinalfish species that are perfect for the saltwater aquarium. You may want to consider keeping the Banggai cardinalfish, as well. Check out these other great beginner saltwater fish. If you’re new to the hobby, learn how to set up a saltwater aquarium.
Pajama Cardinal Facts & Overview
Appearance
- One of the reasons that Pajama Cardinals are unable to fully hide is that they are so colorful! Wow, a small school of these fish will really enhance the aesthetic appeal of your aquarium. Their bodies are silver, but they have many colorful accents, including a black patch located by the dorsal fin and a greenish-yellow face with big orange eyes. The back part of this colorful fish ha…
Habitat and Tank Conditions
- As Pajama Cardinals are mid dwellers, you don’t need to worry about what kind of substrate you use; choose the substrate based on your bottom dwellers. They do need plenty of hiding places, as they are extremely shy and prefer to stay as hidden as possible during the day. They like caves, rocky overhangs similar to their ocean hiding spots, and coral. They will appreciate seagrass, as …
Diet
- Pajama Cardinals are micro predators who need meaty proteins. These carnivores need multiple small meals throughout the day. Since they’re nocturnal, you may need to train them to eat during the day. They are ravenous eaters but slow swimmers, so they might lose the competition for food if there are faster swimmers in your tank. Good sources of mea...
Care
- Pajama Cardinals are rugged, hardy fish. The best thing that you can do to care for them is to protect them from bullies. I’ve mentioned above that they will not do well with larger, more aggressive fish. In fact, they are so peaceful and timid that they may become the target of harassment by other fish that are similar to them. Because the Pajama Cardinals are fond of sta…
Breeding
- You don’t need a special breeding tank or distinct preparations to breed Pajama Cardinals. If you have a mixed-gender school of 6, they will pair off as they mature. You may need to feed them high-quality foods for a few months to prepare them for breeding, but I suggest such foods no matter the occasion. Other than that, you don’t need to do anything. In fact, if you don’t want the…
Are Pajama Cardinals Suitable For Your Aquarium?
- Pajama Cardinals are a great choice for a midsize saltwater tank. They are reef compatible, have a colorful appearance, and it’s fun to watch them darting around the tank. They’re also peaceful residents who won’t bother others. Beware though–if you keep larger predatory fish in your saltwater tank, you should skip the Pajama Cardinals, who will just become fish food for larger a…