Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)

Common Name:

Cardinal Tetra.
Scientific Name:

Paracheirodon axelrodi.
Other Names:

None that used with any frequency. Axelrod's Neon Tetra has been used as a common name at some LFS, but most call it the Cardinal.
Family:

Tetragonopteridae (though some taxonomists place it in the subfamily Tetragonopterinae within the family Characidae).
Distribution:

The Rio Negro and its Brazilian tributaries.

Size:

They can achieve 2", but just over an inch seems to be a more reasonable and more common length.
Diet:

Obligate carnivores in the wild, may need to be weaned to acceptance of standard aquarium fare.
Water Temperature:

73-84 F (23-29 C): Shooting for 73-78 F will be best for Cardinals.
Water Chemistry:

(dH < 5, by Mark Phillip Smith).

pH:

6.0 to 7.0 (by Mark Phillip Smith), though they can take water of 4.0-6.0 (and may indeed come from that acidic of water). Rigorous acclimatization processes may allow for Cardinals to live in alkaline water, but I strongly discourage the practice.

Life Span:

5-7 years is cited by the Oregon Zoo.

Description:

These small fish can achieve lengths of 2" (but they generally get to be just over an inch) and their bodies, like those of their congeners (Neon and Green Neon Tetras) are streamlined to the point that they can be classified as having the shape of a torpedo. Their translucent skin is accented by an electric blue stripe along with a red stripe that starts at the midpoint of the tailfin and continues, below the lateral line, until fading into the a purplish patch that appears just behind the jaw.
Species Behaviour:

This is THE ultimate schooling fish in the hobby and has been since its 1950s-era discovery revolutionized the aquaria of the general public. The shoaling behaviour only occurs when Cardinals are in a group of conspecifics and when there is some sort of fear stimulus (something that won't eat them but may corral them every so often). One has to be careful as those fear stimuli may stress them to the point of lowering the threshold of immunity. The Cardinals are still mostly wild-caught, so their immune systems may be compromised merely by their status as captives. A heavily planted tank will make them feel safest and will cause them to show their best coloration. As schooling fish, it should be noted that they will not do well without at least six in a tank. The Cardinal spends much of its time in the middle and upper levels of the tank. Unlike its congener, the Neon Tetra, the Cardinal is not often cited as a fin-nipper.
Sexing:

Upon maturity, females will be slightly plumper than males. The blue line may seem to be slightly diffracted on the female as well. Other than that, the dimorphism of this fish is not obvious at all.
Breeding:

Not very many hobbyists have been able to breed Cardinals in their tanks but those who have report that their spawning and rearing processes are similar to those used by hobbyists who have spawned Neons. You can check the Neon profile in order to view these steps. One caveat: Cardinals, since they are largely wild-caught, have less of a tolerance for breeding in waters of less-than-optimal parameters.

Water Quality:

Cardinals are reputedly weak fish (mainly because they are primarily wild-caught), but much of that also has to do with forced acclimation to a large variety of water qualities. If properly acclimated, the Cardinal may be able to thrive in high pH water that is relatively hard. Still, though, I do not recommend keeping these in alkaline pH (shoot for 4.0-6.0) nor do I condone keeping them in hard water (opt for soft water).
Natural Conditions:

The Cardinal Tetra spends its days in slow-moving creeks, rivers choked with vegetation, and shaded waterways.
Minimum recommended tank size:

10 gallons is the absolute minimum for a small group.

Tank levels:

Top-Middle.
Miscellaneous:

This species has been classified in two genera: Cheirodon, and Paracheirodon. The accepted scientific name, though, has always included the honorific specific name axelrodi, the name of the editor of the fledgling magazine whose first issue was released early in order to scoop other established magazines racing to describe the Cardinal. This fish is THE schooling fish as stated before, but it was, at one point, an upstart introduced in an upstart magazine's first issue that knocked the Neon Tetra from its throne. Even today, the Cardinal Tetra and the magazine in which it was first described, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, remain among the crown jewels of the aquarium hobby.

The Cardinal Tetra

(Paracheirodon axelrodi)

The Cardinal Tetra is a small fish (full grown 5cm or 2 inches) and is brightly colored. This fish comes from the very soft and acidic waters of the Amazon basin and its tributaries, which are located in Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. The Cardinal Tetra is often confused with the Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi). The visual difference between the Cardinal Tetra and the neon tetra is the length of the bright red stripe that travels across their bodies. The Cardinal Tetra's red stripe travels the entire length of its body, while the neon tetra's red stripe travels only half way down its body. The Cardinal Tetra is a freshwater tropical fish and likes warm (72- 79 degrees F), soft (hardness less than 6 dGH) and acidic water (pH of around 6.0). The Cardinal Tetra is a schooling fish and in my opinion should not be kept in groups of less than six. In nature, schools of this type of fish number from a few hundred to thousands. Cardinal Tetras are omnivorous and will eat small insects, crustaceans, plants and other small fish. The Cardinal Tetra is not a difficult fish to keep as long as your aquarium water is kept close to the parameters listed above and you perform partial water changes of about 20% weekly. They prefer well planted aquariums and small, peaceful tank mates. Choose your Cardinals' tank mates well because any fish whose mouth is large enough will eat them, and this includes wild discus and angelfish. Some good tank mates for your Cardinals in my opinion would be any dwarf Cichlid, domestic bred Angelfish or Discus, Hatchet fish or any small Cory catfish. You can also keep your Cardinals with any small fish from around the world that requires the same type of water parameters. Large school of Cardinal Tetras swimming from one end of the aquarium to the other end is an impressive sight. Be very careful in choosing the fish you buy; make sure they are healthy (not thin or exhibiting signs of disease) and eating readily. Ask the people working in the fish room,"How long have these fish been in the store?" "Are they eating well and can you show me?" If the fish have been in the store for longer than a week, are eating well and your quarantine tank has the correct water parameters, then buy them. Keep your new fish in the quarantine tank for three weeks before introducing them to an already populated tank.

Cardinal Tetras will gladly accept any live food they can fit in their mouths. My Cardinal Tetras like live black worms, flake food and will nip at some of my aquarium plants. These fish will also accept frozen foods like blood worms, beef heart, daphnia and many others. You might want to try a variety of live and frozen foods to see what they like. Be careful that whatever live food you feed them does not contain any parasites that could harm your fish. Don't feed your Cardinals live or frozen adult brine shrimp since they have little nutritional value. Baby brine shrimp would be ok to feed them since they still have their protein rich yolk sacs. Breeding Cardinal Tetras can be difficult and I don't know anyone personally who has done it successfully. All of my Cardinals are wild caught fish. Male Cardinals are generally slimmer than females who tend to have enlarged abdominal sections. I have read articles that suggest in order to breed Cardinals the aquarium water must be acidic (pH of 6.0) and very soft (less than 3 dGH). Spawning usually occurs in the evening and the female will lay up to 500 eggs. Promptly remove the parents. The eggs will usually hatch with in 28 hours and the fry will become free-swimming around 4 days later. I will try this method eventually when I can get more room to set up another tank. Remember to always do a little research on the animals that you want to buy. It is vital that you provide the necessary conditions (aquarium space, water conditions and proper diet) for your animals to thrive - never buy a fish on impulse. I can't tell you how many times that I have met people who have bought a cute little pacu or peacock bass that they think will stay small but winds up growing to well over 3 feet in length!