Yellow Cardinal
Ostorhinchus luteus
| 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 | Planktivore |
| Mininum Tank Size | 20 gallons |
| Max Size | 2 inches |
| Temperature | 72–78°F |
| pH Range | 8.1–8.4 |
| Specific Gravity | 1.022–1.025 |
The Yellow Cardinal (Ostorhinchus luteus) is a small cardinalfish with a yellow body and fine blue striping across the head and fins. It’s a reef-safe fish that spends a lot of time hovering close to rockwork, making it a good fit for peaceful community reefs and nano reef-style aquascapes.
What You’ll Observe:
- Hovering under ledges and in shaded areas, then moving out into open water as the tank lights dim
- Quick, precise feeding strikes on small foods drifting in the water column
- In small groups, individuals often settle into a “loose cluster” near the same overhang or cave
- A consistent daily routine: sheltering in structure, then becoming more active around feeding time
Provide plenty of caves, crevices, and overhangs so it always has a comfortable home base in your rockwork. Offer small meaty foods (like finely chopped frozen blends and small pellets) and feed in a way that lets food drift through their preferred hovering zones. In groups, adding them at the same time helps them settle in more evenly.
Will it spend most of its time hiding at first?
It’s common for new arrivals to pick a favorite shaded ledge or cave for the first few days, then become more visible as they lock in a routine around feeding.
Can I keep just one Yellow Cardinal, or do they do better in a group?
A single specimen can do well, and small groups can work when they’re introduced together and given multiple “parking spots” in the rockwork.
Do Yellow Cardinals usually accept pellets, or are they frozen-food only?
Many learn pellets, especially smaller sizes, but they typically respond fastest to small frozen foods at first and then transition once settled.
Will it bother ornamental shrimp?
They generally leave larger shrimp alone, but very tiny shrimp can be viewed as food—especially at feeding time—so choosing larger established shrimp tends to work best.
What does mouthbrooding look like in cardinalfish?
When a male is holding eggs, the mouth area can look noticeably fuller and the fish may act more stationary while it holds the clutch for several days.
We work with trusted suppliers who keep our specimens healthy and well-fed before shipping.
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