The cardinal tetra is a popular and attractive species of freshwater fish that belongs to the tetra family. These fish are known for their bright colors and peaceful nature, making them a popular choice among aquarium enthusiasts. Cardinal tetras are typically around two inches in size and are active, social fish that are well-suited for community tanks.
While cardinal tetras are generally easy to care for, there are some key differences in their needs compared to other tetra species. It’s important to familiarize yourself with these differences in order to provide the best possible care for your cardinal tetras.
Some people may confuse cardinal tetras with neon tetras due to their similar appearance, but it’s important to understand that these are two distinct species with different care requirements.
If you’re considering adding cardinal tetras to your home aquarium, this guide will provide you with the basic information you need to get started.
Overview
| Common name(s) | Cardinal tetra, red neon tetra, scarlet characin |
| Binomial name | Paracheirodon axelrodi |
| Care Level | Intermediate |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Size range – lenght | 2 inches |
| Water parameters | Temp 73–81°F (23–27°C) pH 4.6–6.2 Hardness up to 4 dGH |
| Tank level | In the middle and top of the tank |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Lifespan | 4-5 years |
| Breeding | Egg layers |
| Tank mates | Small tetras with a similar temperament, Pencil fish, Hatchet fish, Rasboras, Dwarf gouramis, Barbs, Corydoras catfish, Freshwater shrimps, crabs, and snails |
Origin
The cardinal tetra, also known as Paracheirodon axelrodi, is a species of freshwater fish native to South America. These vibrant and colorful fish can be found in the Orinoco and Negro River drainages in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Cardinal tetras are known for their easy care requirements and are often kept in home aquariums. In the wild, they inhabit blackwater creeks and tributaries where the water is soft, acidic, and colored black due to tannins from decaying leaves.
The lighting in these environments is typically very dim, as it is filtered by the surrounding vegetation. To ensure the health and well-being of your cardinal tetras, it’s important to replicate these conditions as closely as possible in the home aquarium.
Size
When fully mature, cardinal tetras typically reach a size of about 2 inches in length and have an average weight of 0.13 grams.
Female cardinal tetras tend to be slightly larger than males, and the size of the fish can vary somewhat depending on the specific conditions in which they are kept.
Despite their small size, cardinal tetras are an active and energetic species that require plenty of space to swim and explore. While they can be kept in smaller tanks, it’s important to provide them with enough room to move and exhibit their natural behaviors.
By keeping their living space and water conditions in good order, you can help your cardinal tetras reach their full potential and live happy and healthy lives.
Lifespan
Cardinal tetras are known for their longevity in the home aquarium, with an average lifespan of 4-5 years. However, some individuals have been known to live for up to a decade with proper care. In the wild, their lifespan is much shorter, typically only lasting about a year.
It’s interesting to note that these fish tend to live longer in captivity compared to their natural habitat. In order to ensure the health and well-being of your cardinal tetras, it’s important to provide them with stable and consistent living conditions.
Neglecting their needs can lead to stress, illness, and even early death. By providing the right care, you can help your cardinal tetras thrive and enjoy a long and happy life.
Availability
Cardinal tetras are widely available at pet stores and online retailers around the world, making them a convenient choice for fishkeepers. These fish are typically priced at around $3 to $5 each, with a group of six costing around $30.
If you’re interested in adding cardinal tetras to your home aquarium, you can find them at many local fish stores, or purchase them online from reputable sellers such as LiveAquaria and Aquatic Arts.
With the right care and attention, cardinal tetras can thrive and add a splash of color to your home aquarium.
Appearance and Sex Differences
Cardinal tetras are popular among aquarium enthusiasts due to their striking iridescent colors and distinctive neon blue stripe. These fish are known for their peaceful and playful nature, and are often kept in groups due to their strong schooling behavior.
The cardinal tetra is a slender fish with a long, slender body and a torpedo-like shape. Like neon tetras, they have two prominent stripes – one bright blue and one bright red. The blue stripe runs from the tip of the nose to the tail, and is known for its shimmering, iridescent finish that seems to glow in the right lighting conditions.
The red stripe, which is slightly thicker, runs the entire length of the body and even extends into the transparent tail. The main difference between cardinal tetras and neon tetras is the length of the red stripe – in neon tetras, it only covers half of the body.
The color of the cardinal tetra’s stripes can change slightly depending on the light conditions, and they may appear less vibrant when resting at night. If you notice your cardinal tetras losing their color during the day, it could be a sign of stress or illness.
Female cardinal tetras are typically larger than males and have more noticeable bellies, while males have a hook-like protrusion on their anal fin.
There are a few varieties of cardinal tetras available, including the gold cardinal tetra and the albino cardinal tetra.
The albino cardinal tetra has a transparent, white body and may lack the iconic blue and red stripes, although some individuals may retain the red stripe.
The gold cardinal tetra has an opalescent body with more subdued coloration compared to the standard cardinal tetra.
Regardless of the variety, all cardinal tetras are known for their stunning appearance and can add a splash of color to any home aquarium.
Behavior
The cardinal tetra is a peaceful and social fish that is most active during daylight hours. In the wild, they are known to form large schools of hundreds of individuals and are known for their striking colors and graceful movements.
These fish are fast swimmers and tend to spend most of their time in the middle and upper regions of the tank, where they enjoy exploring caves and plants.
Despite their tendency to form large schools, cardinal tetras are not aggressive towards other fish and are only territorial during breeding. They are generally docile and peaceful creatures that are well-suited for community tanks.
These fish are known to exhibit beautiful shoaling behavior, even in smaller groups, and are generally happier and healthier when kept with a small school of their own species.
If you are considering adding cardinal tetras to your aquarium, be sure to provide them with enough space to swim and explore, as well as plenty of plants and hiding spots to replicate their natural habitat. With the right care and attention, cardinal tetras can be a stunning and rewarding addition to any home aquarium.
Care
If you’re thinking about adding cardinal tetras to your home aquarium, it’s good to know that these fish are generally easy to care for.
However, it’s still important to provide them with the right conditions in order to keep them healthy and happy. This means creating a stable and consistent environment for your cardinal tetras to live in.
While cardinal tetras are not particularly finicky fish, it’s recommended that you have some experience caring for other fish before attempting to raise them. This is because they are sensitive to changes in their environment and can be prone to stress if the conditions in their tank are not stable.
By having some experience under your belt, you’ll be better equipped to anticipate and address any potential issues that may arise.
With proper care and attention, cardinal tetras can be a joy to keep and can thrive in a home aquarium. Just be sure to research their needs and create an environment that meets their specific requirements.
By doing so, you’ll be well on your way to providing the best care possible for these beautiful and fascinating fish.
Tank Requirements
To create the best possible living conditions for your cardinal tetras, keep the following points in mind:
- The water in your tank should be freshwater and should be partially changed on a weekly basis (25%) to keep it clean and healthy. Cardinal tetras are sensitive to poor water quality, so it’s important to pay attention to this aspect of their care.
- A small school of six cardinal tetras will need a tank of at least 20 gallons, with an additional 2 gallons per fish. An elongated tank shape will provide more space for the fish to swim and explore.
- The ideal water temperature for cardinal tetras is between 73–81°F (23–27°C).
- A dark, sandy substrate with driftwood and roots will create a natural and attractive habitat for your cardinal tetras, and will also help to showcase the fish’s beautiful colors.
- To replicate the cardinal tetras’ natural habitat, set up a biotope tank with plenty of open space for swimming, as well as caves and branches for hiding. It’s also important to invest in a secure lid for the tank, as cardinal tetras have a tendency to jump out of the tank when stressed or scared.
- The ideal pH level for cardinal tetras is between 4.6 and 6.2, with a preference for a pH level of 5.
- Cardinal tetras are accustomed to very soft water in the wild, so aim for a hardness of up to 4 dGH.
- A filtration system that generates a slow to moderate current will help to recreate the conditions that cardinal tetras are used to in the wild.
- Cardinal tetras need dim lighting to thrive, so be sure to provide low lighting levels in the tank. Harsh lighting can cause stress and affect the fish’s coloration.
- Aquatic plants that thrive in low light conditions, such as java moss, cryptocoryne, Amazon Sword, Java Fern, and Anubias Nana, are good choices for a cardinal tetra tank. Scattering dried leaf litter at the top of the tank can also help to create a blackwater environment, which cardinal tetras prefer. Remember to replace the leaf litter every few weeks to prevent waste buildup, and leave an open swimming area in the middle of the tank when arranging the plants.
To ensure the health and well-being of your cardinal tetras, it’s important to maintain the proper tank conditions.
Regularly check the water temperature and pH level, and be sure to give your tank time to cycle before introducing the fish.
By following these recommendations, you’ll be able to provide a comfortable and welcoming environment for your cardinal tetras.
Diseases
There are several diseases that can affect cardinal tetras, including neon tetra disease, ich, fin rot, and dropsy.
Neon tetra disease, also known as Pleistophora hyphessobryconis, is a parasitic disease that spreads through the tank quickly and is caused by infected live foods or dead fish. Symptoms of neon tetra disease include restlessness, color loss, cysts, and a change in swimming patterns. Secondary infections such as fin rot may also occur.
There is no cure for neon tetra disease, and most fish need to be euthanized. To prevent neon tetra disease, it is important to buy fish from reputable sellers, maintain clean water, and purchase live and frozen fish food from trustworthy sources.
New fish should also be quarantined for two weeks. Other diseases like ich, fin rot, and dropsy can be prevented by performing regular water changes, analyzing water chemistry with test kits, and keeping the filtration system in good condition to prevent high ammonia and nitrate levels.
Tank Mates
Cardinal tetras are a peaceful and social species of fish that thrive in groups of six or more individuals. They are best kept with similar-sized, docile species in a community tank, such as small tetras with a similar temperament.
Good tank mates for cardinal tetras include penicl fish, barbs, neon tetras, green neon tetras, ember tetras, black skirt tetras, emperor tetras, zebra danios, chili rasboras, dwarf gouramis, guppies, hatchetfish, mollies, small catfish, and otocinclus. Most loaches, dwarf shrimps, and snails can also be good tank mates.
It is important to avoid housing cardinal tetras with boisterous fish or large fish that can fit them in their mouths, such as bettas, cichlids, rainbow sharks, goldfish and angelfish.
Cardinal tetras may also nip at the fins of long-finned fancy fish, so it is best to avoid keeping them with these species.
Diet
Cardinal Tetras are omnivorous fish that enjoy a diet rich in worms and small crustaceans in the wild. These versatile creatures are willing to eat a variety of foods, making it easy to feed them a well-rounded diet.
However, it is essential to remember that they have high vitamin needs and should have a diet consisting mostly of dried flakes or pellets specifically made for Tetras.
To supplement this, you can offer live or frozen snacks such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, and other high-protein options. Just be sure to choose foods that are small enough to fit in the fish’s mouth.
For the best results, try to feed your Cardinal Tetras several times a day. Be mindful not to give them more food than they can eat in about three minutes to avoid overfeeding.
By following these tips, you can help ensure that your Cardinal Tetras are healthy and happy.
Breeding
If you’re looking to breed cardinal tetras in your home aquarium, it may be a bit of a challenge, but it is definitely possible. The key to success is to create the right conditions for the fish to spawn and lay their eggs. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
1. First, you’ll need to condition the cardinal tetra pair for breeding by feeding them live food and gradually increasing the water temperature. You can also add leaf litter to the tank to give the water a tannin-rich quality.
2. Next, set up a separate breeding tank that is at least 5 gallons in size. The water should be shallow and kept at a temperature of at least 75°F. You’ll also want to dim the lighting and make sure the hardness is between 1-2 dGH and the pH is between 5.5 and 6.0.
3. To give the female cardinal tetra a place to lay her eggs, add some fine-leaved plants like Java moss or spawning mops to the tank. You’ll also want to use an air-powered sponge filter that won’t generate too strong of a current or suck in the fry.
4. Once the female cardinal tetra becomes plump with eggs, move the pair into the breeding tank. Spawning usually takes place in the evening and can take several hours. On average, a female cardinal tetra will lay 130-500 eggs.
5. After the eggs are laid, be sure to remove the parents from the tank to prevent them from eating the eggs. The eggs will hatch within a day, and the fry will become free-swimming within four days. You can feed the fry liquid food or infusoria at first, then gradually move them onto baby brine shrimp as they grow larger.
If your cardinal tetras are not mating, it might be necessary to try using a different pair. Finding a compatible breeding pair of these fish can be a time-consuming and patient process. It may require some experimentation before you are successful in getting them to breed.
In conclusion
Cardinal tetras are a suitable species for aquarium enthusiasts of all levels, as long as you have the necessary information to provide proper care.
While some people may prefer to start with another species before trying cardinal tetras, these fish can be enjoyed by beginner and experienced aquarists alike.
Many people are drawn to the beauty and peaceful nature of cardinal tetras and choose to keep them in their tanks for years.
If you have any additional questions about caring for cardinal tetras, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. We are always happy to assist and provide guidance to our readers.
