Cardinal tetra Care guide – Size, Life Span, Tank Mates, Breeding

We tell you everything you need to know about the tetra cardinal

Welcome to our website about the Tetra Cardinal fish, where you can find all the information you need to enjoy this variety of fish to the fullest

cardinal tetra

Characteristics of the Tetra Cardinal fish

The Tetra Cardinal fish is really very beautiful and above all it is a fish that decorates the aquarium very well, since it will give vitality to it. Of course, it must be said that to get these fish to attract attention in your aquarium, you will have to have them in large schools of fish, which will make your aquarium really very beautiful.

You have to know that tetra cardinal fish stand out for having an elongated body, remembering that they are small fish. That is to say that as a general rule they do not usually grow more than 6 cm, hence we recommend you to have many specimens to get them to stand out in your aquarium.

Care Level:Easy
Temperament:Peaceful
Color Form:Blue and Red
Lifespan:Up to 5 years
Size:Up to 2″
Diet:Omnivore
Family:Characidae
Minimum Tank Size:20 Gallons
Tank Set-Up:Tropical freshwater with open swimming space
Compatible:Peaceful community

On the other hand, you should know that females stand out for being larger than males and above all stand out for having a bulker belly.

Finally, we have to emphasize that this fish stands out for having a really beautiful color. This means that it has a bluish-green band, another red line that is located at the bottom of the fish. The rest stands out for being a silver color, without forgetting that the fins are transparent.

What are the advantages of having this fish

This variety of fish stands out for having a fast and beautiful movement. This means that if you have them in large numbers, you can enjoy a really beautiful aquarium.

In addition, it is a type of fish that is not very complicatedto care for, as you can see on our website, so today it is a type of fish in high demand, both in beginner and medium level aquariums.

Finally, we have to add that we are talking about a non-aggressive species, so it will be able to coexist without problems with other species that need the same type of water and especially that have the same size as the Tetra Cardinal fish.

Breeding of the Tetra Cardinal fish

If you have Tetra Cardinal fish and you want to reproduce them, you have to know that this task is not easy at all, but with a little effort, you will surely get it. Of course, before encouraging the breeding of this fish, it is important to see what you are going to do later with them, since all of them will not enter the aquarium.

Data to consider before raising it

To begin with, you have to know that the female is larger than the male,while it has a larger belly, so it is not at all complicated to differentiate both sexes. For this reason, when going to the aquarium to buy fish, it is important to request that you be attached to both males and females, to be successful in future breeding.

On the other hand, you should know that the breeding will occur between the months of April and October,so if you want to reproduce this species of fish, what you should do is put all possible means during these months to try to achieve success in breeding.

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How to succeed in the reproduction of tetra cardinal fish?

To begin with, you have to keep in mind that this task is not easy, but it is not impossible either, so if you try, you will surely succeed.

First of all, it is very important that you are clear that it is important to separate the different pairs of fish in pairs. That is to say that you will have to put in an aquarium of about 10 liters a male and a female. At the bottom of this aquarium you will have to put a net, to prevent the parents from reaching the eggs and therefore eat them.

Normally, once the female Tetra Cardinal fish has laid the eggs, what you will have to do is put the Tetra Cardinal fish back into the aquarium.

As for the eggs, you will have to leave them in the aquarium for at least 24 hours, at which time the eggs will open. Of course, when the young are born, you should not put them in the aquarium, but you will have to wait for them to grow to put them in, in order to prevent them from being eaten by adults.

Behavior of the Tetra Cardinal fish

If you want to know everything about the behavior of the Tetra Cardinal fish, we invite you to continue reading, since we are going to show you all the information you need to know about this fish.

Interesting behavioral facts

We have to say that they stand out for being really calm fish. This means that you can join them with other calm fish of the same size, since at least this species will not mess with the rest of the fish.

In addition, it is a fish that appreciates being ina group, which means that we recommend you to make groups equal to or greater than 10 members. And is that if you have them individually or in small groups, they will feel very lonely and little protected. In addition, if you have them in groups you can enjoy a much more beautiful aquarium.

Finally, we have to add that in large groups, the dominant fish will be inside the group, while the weaker ones will be on the outside, which is really very curious to see.

How is the Tetra Cardinal fish in the aquarium?

The Tetra Cardinal fish is a very good choice. This is because their behavior at all times will be calm,so you will not have problems of coexistence with other species.

In addition, it is a species that likes to swim in a group, hence we recommend you always have this species of fish in large aquariums. In this way, Tetra Cardinal fish will feel much more at ease and will sport a much more colorful color.

Therefore, we recommend that when going to the store buy this variety of fish, you should always buy the members that are closest together, since this means that they are in better health. That is, you should never buy fish that are separated from the group, as this will be synonymous with weakness or disease in the fish.

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Finally, we have to say that it is a species that will swim throughout the aquarium,although they are mainly usually in the middle area of it.

Aquariums for fish Tetra Cardinal

If you want to enjoy the beauty of this view, we invite you to continue reading, since we are going to show you the type of aquarium you have to get the happiness of your fish.

Which aquarium to buy for the Tetra Cardinal fish?

Even though we are talking about a fish of really small size, you should know that it is a fish that needs a lot of space to swim. This means that if you want your Tetra Cardinal fish to live happily, what you should do is provide them with a large aquarium.

For this reason, we do not recommend putting this type of fish in aquariums smaller than 60 liters, but being able to be, we recommend you to put the Tetra Cardinal fish in aquariums over 100 liters. So you can enjoy the space that this variety needs.

In addition, it is also very important to put a good decoration thinking about this variety of fish. By this we mean that we recommend you put decoration that allows your fish to hide when they feel scared.

Finally, we also have to add that it is a fish that appreciates aquariums not very illuminated, especially in the background, since it is accustomed to being in waters with little light.

What water to use in an aquarium that has a Tetra Cardinal fish?

As we have said, this type of fish appreciates having volumes of water greater than 100 liters.

On the other hand, the water temperature should be between 22 degrees and 28 degrees. If the temperatures are lower or higher, the fish will suffer and therefore can get sick.

On the other hand, the water will have to have between 6 and 7.5 Ph and 5 to 15º Dgh of hardness, since outside these levels, the fish will suffer a lot.

Finally, we recommend having a large number of plants in your aquarium, with the aim of making your fish feel as comfortable as possible. In this case we recommend you bet on natural plant models, although you can also put artificial plants. The important thing is to make the Tetra Cardinal fish feel as comfortable as possible in your aquarium.

Feeding the Tetra Cardinal fish

The Tetra Cardinal fish can be fed with live food as a preparation, so we are going to show you that you have to feed it, with the aim of having specimens with striking colors.

What does the Tetra Cardinal fish eat?

You can eat live food without any problems, as long as it suits your size of course.

This means that this type of fish can be fed when it is already an adult with worms, Artemis or for example mosquito larvae. They like this type of food very much, because they will feel at home, which makes many people use this type of food with the aim of giving the best possible life to their fish.

But if you do not have time to go shopping or look for live food for your fish, you have to know that aquariums already sell food prepared for this type of fish. Of course, if you bet on this type of food, you always have to give rations adapted to the number of fish you have in the aquarium, since excessive feeding can kill them. Without forgetting that this food should be special for this type of fish, that is, you will have to buy food for hot water fish.

In this way, you can see that it is a very easy fish to feed,since it will eat almost everything, it will even eat vegetables if it is parted into small pieces, although it is not the most recommended.

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What do baby Tetra Cardinal fish eat?

If you have been lucky and have managed to reproduce this species of fish, you have to know that the Tetra Cardinal fish when they are young can not feed the same as the elderly.

For this reason, we recommend feeding them crustacean larvae or artemias. When the fish grow a little, you can already give them well-chopped prepared food, so that it can enter their mouths.

In this way, you will be able to have all the fry well-fed, so the probability of surviving will be high for the vast majority of fry.

Care of the Tetra Cardinal fish

The care of the Tetra Cardinal fish is not too complicated, but you always have to keep in mind that this type of fish is warm water, so we recommend using the following tips to enjoy this type of fish.

Tips for caring for the Tetra Cardinal fish

To begin with, it must be said that this type of fish likes to swim a lot,which is why it is recommended to have an aquarium of at least 40 liters. But the bigger it is, the better, because then the fish can have much more space and enjoy a much healthier life.

On the other hand, it is important that the aquarium is not very bright,especially at the bottom.

In addition, you should not forget that Tetra Cardinal fish want temperatures that do not fall below 24º and that do not rise above 28º. And, if the temperatures are not between the degrees mentioned, the fish will suffer a lot and may suffer diseases. To this we must add that this type of fish appreciates enjoying soft waters.

Main care of the Tetra Cardinal fish

This type of fish will stand on its own, as long as you give it adequate food,provide it with adequate water and especially when it has enough space to swim without problems.

On the other hand, what you do have to know is that this fish is very little aggressive,which means that you should always introduce it with other species of fish that are also not very aggressive and especially that are the same size. And, if you put in the same aquarium larger fish as the Tetra Cardinal fish, the larger ones will eat the smaller ones without thinking. And those who do not die from being eaten will die from the stress of being continually persecuted.

Finally, we also recommend installing a nice decoration in the aquarium, but that in turn is thought of the fish. And it is that this type of fish always likes to have corners to hide,with the aim of feeling safe when you feel intimidated.