Paracheirodon axelrodi

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Cardinal Tetra
Cardinal Tetra
Species	Paracheirodon axelrodi
Difficulty	Easy
Min. Tank Size	37.854 liters 37,854.118 mL 10 US Gallons (37.9L)
Size	5.08 cm 1.5-2 " (3.8-5.1cm)
pH	4.6 - 7.0
Temp.	295.15 K 71.6 °F 531.27 °R 299.15 K 78.8 °F 538.47 °R22 -26 °C (71.6-78.8°F)
Water Hardness	4-10
Stocking Ratio	2:3 M:F
Availability	Very Common
Diet	Omnivore Pellet Foods Flake Foods Live Foods
Life Span	4-8 years

[edit] Alternative names

Cardinal Tetra, Red Neon, Large Neon Tetra

[edit] Sexing

Blue band along the side tends to bend upwards in females.

[edit] Breeding

Use Java moss or a synthetic substitute over the bottom of the tank and reduce the lighting. Cardinals usually spawn at twilight. The male embraces the female when spawning and about 500 eggs are scattered among the Java moss. Remove the parents. The eggs hatch in about 24 hours and the fry are free-swimming in about five days. Feed the young on Infusoria and later on, newly hatched Brine Shrimp. The Cardinal is not easily bred and most specimens are still imported from their native waters.

[edit] Tank compatibility

The Cardinal Tetra is a peaceful community fish. Don't put it with any fish that have a bad tendency to eat smaller fish. Prefers schools of its own kind.

[edit] Diet

Flake and granular foods along with micro pellet, supplemented with small live and frozen foods.

[edit] Feeding regime

See also: General Feeding Regime

Feed once to three times a day in small quantities.

[edit] Environment Specifics

Keep in a school of 5-6 or more in a laterally spacious tank.

[edit] Behaviour

Peaceful and a good community fish. Will school in groups of probably 6 or more. Other fish use this fish as a spotter fish (dither fish). If there is a predator about, these fish will see it first; therefore other, more timid fish (for example, the Clown Loach) will come out into the open more if you put these fish in your tank. Useful to the aquarist as an indicator fish, if they are closely packed together then they are alarmed and feel threatened. Usually if they are settled, they will disperse over your tank.

[edit] Identification

The fins have no color and the upper-side is a brownish-red. A wide single stripe extends along each side of the fish from the upper parts of the eye to just below the Adipose fin. This stripe can appear sea-green, yellow-green or turquoise-blue, depending on the angle that the light hits it. Below this stripe is a wide bright Red band that can be seen on the lower half of the body , running from the underside of the mouth including the throat, and all the way back to the base of the Caudal fin. This fish is often confused with the Neon tetra, but in the Neon the bright red band is shorter, only running to the middle of the body.

[edit] Pictures

Cardinals

[edit] Videos

Cardinals in the wild:

[edit] External links

• Fishbase
• Badmans Tropical Fish
• e-Aquarium