🚚 Dry goods ship Australia-wide 🐠 Livestock — buy online, collect in store 🧪 In-store water analysis
Home  /  Fish profiles  /  Gold Stripe Cardinal
Gold Stripe Cardinal (Ostorhinchus (Apogon) properuptus / cyanosoma (Gold-stripe Cardinal — trade name varies))

Gold Stripe Cardinal

Ostorhinchus (Apogon) properuptus / cyanosoma (Gold-stripe Cardinal — trade name varies)
Family
Cardinalfish / Apogonidae
Care level
Beginner
Temperament
Peaceful
Reef safe
Reef safe
Max size
7 cm
Min tank
150 L · 40 gal
Origin
Indo-Pacific
Diet
Carnivore
Food
Mysis, Brine shrimp, Marine pellets, Frozen carnivore blends

Overview

The Gold Stripe Cardinal is a small, elegant fish with a pale silvery body marked by a bold golden-yellow horizontal stripe running from nose to tail. It's a peaceful, hardy species that adds gentle, hovering movement to a reef tank without the darting activity of many other reef fish.

It's naturally a shoaling species and shows its calmest, most natural behaviour when kept in a small group, hovering together near rock or coral structure throughout the day.

Its undemanding care, small size, and full reef safety make it an excellent addition to a peaceful community reef, whether kept singly or as part of a small school.

Compatibility

Gold Stripe Cardinals are entirely peaceful and reef safe, ignoring corals, clams, and invertebrates. They do best with other calm tankmates, since more boisterous or fast-swimming fish can outcompete them for food or stress them with constant activity.

They can be kept in small groups in a large enough tank, generally showing little aggression toward their own kind compared to many other reef fish.

Health & quarantine

This is a hardy, adaptable species with few chronic health issues, generally acclimating and feeding well without major complications. A standard quarantine period of two to four weeks is recommended good practice, and this species tends to ship and settle in with minimal stress compared to more delicate reef fish.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Gold Stripe Cardinal reef safe?
Yes, fully reef safe with corals and invertebrates.
Can I keep multiple Gold Stripe Cardinals together?
Yes, they do well in small groups in a large enough tank, showing little aggression toward their own kind.
Is the Gold Stripe Cardinal a good beginner fish?
Yes, it's hardy, peaceful, and easy to feed, making it a solid choice for new reef keepers.
What tank size suits a Gold Stripe Cardinal?
150 litres is a reasonable minimum given its small, calm nature.
Is the Gold Stripe Cardinal active during the day?
It's fairly calm and unhurried throughout the day, with the most activity typically seen around dawn and dusk feeding times.

Care guidance is drawn from our own experience — every fish is an individual, so treat it as a starting point, not a guarantee. Not sure if a species suits your tank? Come ask us in store. New to the terms? Read the care-terms glossary.