With vivid colored body and appearance, the Cardinal Soldierfish makes a captivating addition to a tank. It has a small elongated body along with lengthy tail base, which makes it good choice for a small tank. It comes out at night to feed on zooplankton and tiny invertebrates. The Cardinal Soldierfish has a unique feature of possessing bacteria in its organs which aids in making it to glow in the dark. The Cardinal Soldierfish is a shy, secretive fish that can easily be stressed and when stressed it makes clicking and grunting noises. It needs a tank not less than 30 gallons along with plenty of live rocks for hiding as it mostly prefers to conceal themselves from the predators and other aggressive fishes. The Cardinal Soldierfish eats invertebrates such as worms, crustaceans and serpent stars that is why it is not considered a reef safe species. When introduced, the Cardinal Soldierfish should be entice first with some live saltwater feeder shrimp, and then its diet should include feeder shrimp, freeze dried shrimp, and chopped marine meats. The Cardinal Soldierfish thrives well a temperature range of 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit and pH of 8.1-8.4. It is easy to handle and care for that makes a good choice for a beginner aquarist. Be cautious while handling this Cardinal Soldierfish that exhibits preopercle spines that are venomous, are present near the gill-opening, can inflict painful wounds. This Cardinal Soldierfish species has been known for its ability to swim upside down. It should never be housed with the horse-eye jack, West Atlantic trumpetfish and the Nassau grouper to avoid any aggression.