Pacific sardines are cheap shoal fish that fill an open-ocean tank with movement. Their silver scales flash as the shoal turns, and they make a big tank feel alive for very little money.
Why add sardines
- Cheap. Shoals usually cost well under 100 credits.
- Movement. A tank with only a few big animals can look empty. A sardine shoal fills the middle of the water.
- Shark thriving. Blacktip reef sharks need a large Indo-Pacific reef companion species to thrive, and Pacific sardines are compatible.
Water
- Salt water
- Lots of open swimming space. They're open-ocean fish, though they cope fine in reef tanks.
Tankmates
Sardines get along with Indo-Pacific sharks, golden trevally, rays and many reef fish. Since sharks are predators, check the cohabitation info. Shoal fish care about safety as well as temperature, salinity and cleanliness.
Shoal needs
Shoals are managed as one unit. The four things to watch are:
- Temperature
- Salinity
- Safety (predators)
- Cleanliness
Releasing sardines
Sardines can be released as a mixed shoal with overall health of at least 35%. They're released through conservation projects or quick release, not through the normal reserve release groups.
Research
Sardine research moves quickly. My vets reached level two in no time. Keep a vet on it to unlock the full set of education topics.
Tips
- In an open-ocean mega tank, layer your species: leopard sharks and rays on the floor, sardine and snapper shoals in the middle, bigger sharks cruising through.
- The "Full tank" achievement needs 5 species in one aquarium. Sardines are an easy way to get there.