# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Characins >  Normal Cardinal vs. Jumbo Cardinals

## joyfulcity

Hi,

Would like to check with anyone what is the differences between jumbo cardinals and normal cardinals, are jumbo cardinals just cardinals that have grown bigger? 

Or are they fishes caught from a different area having different genes, that result in the jumbo cardinals being able to grow bigger??

I need about 200 cardinals in my 5x2x2 tank, so getting 200 jumbo cardinals would double my cost! I would'nt mind if they would indeed grow bigger and better than normal cardinals though....

Regards.

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## zenscape

I was also puzzled by the same question whether there is any difference between normal and jumbo cardinals when I wanted to get 100 cardinals for my 4ft a few years back.

For a start, you may try Gan's Aquarium as Mr Gan has lots of experience in cardinal. He has been importing cardinals for many years. According to him, the difference depends on where the cardinals were caught- Brazil or Columbia. I can't remember which location is jumbo size cardinals from but his aquarium will always have two types for you to consider. I got the jumbo size and pay slightly more for them. But certainly not double priced the smaller ones.

Frankly speaking, I really don't know whether they are normal size grow bigger or Jumbo gene? But they are quite stable in my tank for 2 years.

At times, Colourful aquarium has bags of very big cardinals at very good price. To me, they are jumbo!

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## Quixotic

I am inclined to believe that genetically, there is no difference between the normal and jumbo sized Cardinal tetras.

However, Cardinals which were once thought to be wild caught, are now being farm bred. So who knows what they have done to the fishes.

Having said that, there supposedly exist a number of phenotypes in the wild, in several different natural colour forms. They are also differences (but no about size) in the Rio Negro and Rio Orinoco population.

Here is a discussion from a while back. The article from Practical Fishkeeping did not mention size as a difference.

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## joyfulcity

Hi zenscape,

Thanks for your info, yup i did go down to Gan's Aquarium to get a few jumbo cardinals, they are in my tank for 1 week, to test out my cycled tank. Planning to get more later to make sure that my tank parameters are suitable for the cardinals.

I might just mix with the jumbo and normal cardinals, if the normal cardinals are just as hardy as the jumbo cardinals.




> I was also puzzled by the same question whether there is any difference between normal and jumbo cardinals when I wanted to get 100 cardinals for my 4ft a few years back.
> 
> For a start, you may try Gan's Aquarium as Mr Gan has lots of experience in cardinal. He has been importing cardinals for many years. According to him, the difference depends on where the cardinals were caught- Brazil or Columbia. I can't remember which location is jumbo size cardinals from but his aquarium will always have two types for you to consider. I got the jumbo size and pay slightly more for them. But certainly not double priced the smaller ones.
> 
> Frankly speaking, I really don't know whether they are normal size grow bigger or Jumbo gene? But they are quite stable in my tank for 2 years.
> 
> At times, Colourful aquarium has bags of very big cardinals at very good price. To me, they are jumbo!

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## joyfulcity

Hi,

For me i'm inclined to believe that as well, that there is no difference between normal and jumbo sized.. just that the jumbo sized were caught when they were bigger? 

Being bigger could it mean they are fitter already? Survival of the fittest?  :Smug:  

Regards.





> I am inclined to believe that genetically, there is no difference between the normal and jumbo sized Cardinal tetras.
> 
> However, Cardinals which were once thought to be wild caught, are now being farm bred. So who knows what they have done to the fishes.
> 
> Having said that, there supposedly exist a number of phenotypes in the wild, in several different natural colour forms. They are also differences (but no about size) in the Rio Negro and Rio Orinoco population.
> 
> Here is a discussion from a while back. The article from Practical Fishkeeping did not mention size as a difference.

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## ccs

I believe is only size difference should be the same because i bought normal cardinals from Gans before after a year or so also become like his jumbo one.

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## mickthefish

your all right, no difference between the two.
i'd buy the smaller ones as the jumbo's are usually ex-breeders and how much life have they got left?.

mick

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## joyfulcity

Could'nt resist, got 20 jumbo cardinal cardinals from Gan aquarium.. all doing fine in my tank  :Smile:  Probably will be getting another 50 normal cardinal this week or next week, depending on ammonia in my tank.. Will slowly build up to about 200 or 300 pieces  :Smile:  

Thanks for all the feedback  :Smile:

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## chuaclarence

wah.. shiok. a school of 200 cardinals is one of the most impresive sights around, especially in a heavily planted tank. congrats

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## danielo

I have about 150 cardinals in my 8 foot tank. Bought them in 2 batches over 1 year period. When I got them, were quite small but now are all jumbo size. They however come in 2 different color hues. One Blue and one slightly green. Bought them from the same importer/wholesaller (AI) in KL. Does anyone have any clue why the different color?

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## Plantbrain

I really doubt there are genetic differences as the main trait.

I think, and there's ample evidence to this in Discus and most any fish, that it's developmental.

If you take a poor kid that's under feed when they are 0-15 years old, they only grow 4ft tall.

Once they are 20 years old, no amount of food will restore their growth, they are stunted and will never grow taller.

Likewise, if fish do not get enough food during a critical developmental stage, they will never grow to a certain size.

This is far more likely case than the gentic reason and can tested much easier as well to show it's true, the genetic test would require molecular methods to confirm and I can promise you, few fish wholesalers are ever going to spend the $ for that and test it.

Get the cardinals younger, the better, feed the crap out of them.
They will become giants as well.


Regards, 
Tom Barr

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