Aquarium
Cardinal Tetra
Paracheirodon axelrodi
Think of it as the neon's dressier cousin: red from nose to tail, happiest in soft warm water.
- Difficulty
- moderate
Care tips
- Provide 75 L or more, heated to 24-28 °C
- Keep soft, slightly acidic water; hard water shortens their lives
- School 8+ over a dark substrate for the deepest reds
- Change 25% of the water weekly with a good dechlorinator
- Offer small flakes, micro pellets, and frozen brine shrimp
Common questions
What should I know about caring for a cardinal tetra? +
Think of it as the neon's dressier cousin: red from nose to tail, happiest in soft warm water.
Typical guidance for a healthy cardinal tetra — your own conditions (and your vet, for animals) come first.
Related guides
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- Amano Shrimp The workhorse of algae control — bigger and bolder than cherries, and famous for eating hair algae others refuse.
- Angelfish Graceful until breeding season, when this tall-finned cichlid remembers exactly what family it belongs to.
- Axolotl A permanently smiling salamander that never grows up, asks for chilly water, and repays you with a decade of company.
- Betta Fish A hardy, personable fish that still needs a heated, filtered, CYCLED tank — not a bowl.
- Bristlenose Pleco The sensible pleco choice: stays under 15 cm, mows algae diligently, and wears a mustache of tentacles while doing it.