Black Cardinal
Apogonichthyoides melas
| Stock | Variations | Price | Quantity |
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Monday – Friday 8 AM – 9 PM
Saturday 12 PM – 4 PM
Sunday 12 PM – 9 PM
Healthy, stable animals from vetted suppliers — inspected before packing, shipped overnight. Decades of experience built this model so we can deliver premium livestock at 30%+ less than you'd pay elsewhere.
| Care Level | Easy |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Reef Safe | Yes |
| Functional Benefit | Ornamental Only |
| Diet Type | Carnivore |
| Mininum Tank Size | 20 gallons |
| Max Size | 4 inches |
| Temperature | 72–78°F |
| pH Range | 8.1–8.4 |
| Specific Gravity | 1.022–1.025 |
The Black Cardinal (Apogonichthyoides melas) is a dark-bodied cardinalfish often seen hovering close to rockwork, with small eyespots near the bases of the second dorsal and anal fins. In nature it’s found on sheltered Western Pacific reef areas and shallow protected bays, where it stays close to cover among branching corals and rocky structure.
What You’ll Observe:
- Hovering under ledges and in caves during the day, then spending more time out in the open as the tank settles down for the evening
- Short, controlled dashes to grab food items in the water column rather than constant open-water swimming
- Small-group spacing where fish choose nearby “parking spots” in the same area of the aquascape
- Color that can read as deep mocha to near-black depending on lighting and mood
Provide shaded rockwork (overhangs, caves, and branching structure) so it has a consistent retreat zone it can return to throughout the day. Offer small meaty foods (like mysis and other finely sized frozen marine foods) and feed in a couple of small portions so it gets a steady share. If keeping more than one, introduce them together so they sort out positions in the same section of the tank.
Will a Black Cardinal stay hidden all day?
Many keepers report they spend daylight hours tight to rockwork and become more visible later in the day, especially once they learn your feeding routine.
Do they “school” tightly like some chromis, or just group up?
They’re often described as willing to group, but in aquariums it commonly looks like a loose cluster where each fish holds a nearby hovering spot.
What’s the most common “normal” feeding behavior people notice?
Instead of rushing the surface, they tend to wait near cover and pick food items as they pass, so target the area they hover in rather than only feeding the front glass.
Do they change appearance as they mature?
Juveniles can show contrasting light/dark patterning that gradually darkens with age, and adults may look lighter or darker depending on mood and conditions.
Are they likely to bother tiny ornamental shrimp at night?
Hobbyists often group cardinalfish as generally reef-compatible, but very small shrimp can still be treated like prey—plan shrimp choices and sizes accordingly.
We source from vetted suppliers known for healthy, long-lived specimens.
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