# Why are cardinal tetra rarely used in aquascaping?



## pseudodiego (8 May 2022)

Just curious. Those little guys are really beautiful, but it you watch the top tanks at the IAPLC or the green aqua channel, they are rarely used.

Any idea why?


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## seedoubleyou (8 May 2022)

pseudodiego said:


> Just curious.
> 
> Those little guys are really beautiful, but if you search at the top tanks of the IAPLC competition, they are very rarely used.
> 
> Any idea why?


I think it’s because their colours are so bold that they don’t really compliment an aquascape.
That’s not to say they can’t be used in an aquascape.


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## Courtneybst (8 May 2022)

In terms of IAPLC I guess the colours are quite distracting, and could take the focus off the scape itself.


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## jaypeecee (8 May 2022)

*Why are cardinal tetra rarely used in aquascaping?*



pseudodiego said:


> Just curious. Those little guys are really beautiful, but it you watch the top tank at the IAPLC or the green aqua channel, they are rarely used.



Hi @pseudodiego 

I have seen many aquascapes that are home to both Cardinal and Neon Tetras. Take a look at this aquascape on Dennis Wong's site (#3 dutch style):









						Creating Aquascapes: The 2Hr Way
					

An overview of the most popular aquascaping styles.




					www.2hraquarist.com
				




JPC


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## erwin123 (9 May 2022)

Interesting that IALPC 2021 rank 1-9 do not have Neons/Cardinals (photo too small for my non-expert eyes to tell the difference).
However, rank 10, 11, 12, 15, 21  have them.


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## PARAGUAY (9 May 2022)

I think it's partly to with the judging with IAPLC Fish selection for the Aquascaper is taken into account rather then the most colourful.


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## Garuf (10 May 2022)

Fashion mainly. There was a time when they were used in every other scape, especially iwagumi because that was what ADA did. 

These days fish choice is slightly more nuisanced or should I say, cardinals and neons are perceived as cliché these days so more a-typical fish are chosen.


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## Ginkgo (10 May 2022)

I think it might have something to do with the way they school together, they're quite slow moving and are more spaced out than others. And as other people have mentioned, their extreme colours distract the viewer from the scape. The schooling fish they use in those display tanks are really just to accentuate their designs, and provide it with a sense of life, sort of like props.


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## LondonAquascaper (11 May 2022)

I just think they are over used aren't they. Don't get me wrong, they are over used for a reason - they are beautiful, but its been done and if you are trying to make an impact its sometimes helpful to use fish that people haven't already seen 1m times over,


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## George Farmer (11 May 2022)

I think it's a combination of their aesthetic value, their perceived popularity and schooling behaviour. 

Aesthetic - Very high impact. Too high for many.
Popular - Too popular for many. 
Schooling - They don't school when comfortable so not great for the that final photo unless you can 'scare' them into schooling.  

I'm considering 100 in my HighLine 400.


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## seedoubleyou (11 May 2022)

George Farmer said:


> I'm considering 100 in my HighLine 400.



That’s when they can’t be beaten IMO. A huge shoal of them in a large tank creates a really high impact. Yes they detract from an aquascape in a competitive setting. 
But when creating something you can watch all day from your “stool”, they’re a perfect addition to an aquascape.


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## mort (11 May 2022)

I don't follow the competitions so I'm just guessing that other bright species aren't chosen as well so could it be that it's because they are perfect for tannin stained water but in a clear water competition tank, they just stick out to much.


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## DeepMetropolis (9 Jun 2022)

I really like them you can see them when you are a bit further away from the tank. My couch is 5/6m away from my tank and when viewing the tank from there the fish that stand out most are the cardinals. I think they do great in jungle or crowded tanks but not so much in a competition tank, there you have to be really thoughtful about fish choice to accentuate the scene you are creating.


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## tiger15 (9 Jun 2022)

Amano’s  last project, a 26 feet tank in Sumida Aquarium,  has hundreds of Cardinal tetra.   It is a combination of the largest aquascape tank in the world with the smallest fish.


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