The Cardinal Tetra has the striking iridescent blue line characteristic of the genus Paracheirodon laterally bisecting the fish, with the body below this line being vivid red in colour, hence the name "cardinal tetra". The cardinal tetra's appearance is similar to that of the closely related neon tetra, with which it is often confused; the neon's red coloration extends only about halfway to the nose, and the neon's blue stripe is a less vibrant blue.
Species – Cardinal Tetra – Paracheirodon axelrodi
Current Size – 2.5cm – 3cm
Adult Length – 4cm
Temperature Range – 24 - 27°C
pH Range – 6.0 – 7.5
Special Requirements - It is best to provide your Tetra with a mixed environment with some open swimming space and some plant cover.
Tanks Mates and Compatibility – They tend to be timid and, because of their small size, should not be kept with large or aggressive fish which may bully or simply eat them. Fish that mix well in an aquarium are guppies, dwarf cichlids, smaller danionins and barbs, other types of tetras, such as the rummy-nose tetra, cardinal tetra, and glowlight tetra, and other community fish that live well in an ideal tetra water condition.
Ideal Number to Keep – Mid-level feeders, they are best kept in schools of six or more, for the shoaling effect when they move around the tank. They shoal naturally in the wild and are thus more brightly coloured and more active when kept as a shoal as opposed to singly.
Feeding – Tetras are omnivores and will accept most foods, if sufficiently small, but should also have some small foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, which can be stuck to the side of the aquarium, and micro pellet food to supplement their diets. Some frozen foods, including frozen blood worms, add variety to their diets.
We recommend:
Please note – Some images used are library photos and will show the colour potential at a fully mature size, as our fish are juveniles they may vary.
We always aim to supply the fish as close to the purchase size as possible. On rare occasions if this is not possible we will contact you.
The fish are selected at random however you are welcome to make a note on the order and the fish manager will do his best for you, requests are dependent on stock at the time of your order.
