Photo thanks to Aquasaur


Photo thanks to Watfish

Name:
Scientific name: Paracheirodon axelrodi - Cardinal tetra
Common name: Cardinal tetra
AKA:

Country of origin: South America

pH: 3.0 - 7.5
Temperature: 24 - 29c
Hardness: 18 - 215ppm
Water flow: standard
Oxygenation: standard

Maximum size: 3.5cm

Diet: dry fish flakes, live food, frozen food

Breeding: It used to be only wild caught, but is now being bred in overseas aquariums.

Tank companions: They are not good with shrimp, as they are large enough to take adult shrimp if they work together.

They are peaceful tank companions with other fish. They will school well. They do not nip fins or harrass other fish.

Keep in mind that they are a comparatively small fish, and can be eaten by larger fish.

They are hardier than neons, and less prone to disease, so although they are more expensive, they are often a better financial choice, as they have a longer lifespan.

They tolerate higher temperatures than neons, so are wonderful tank companions for discus, blue rams and other fish requiring higher temperatures.

Photo thanks to Watfish

Often confused with the common Neon tetra - the red on the neon only comes halfway to the nose, and the blue is less vibrant.
Also confused with the less common Green Neon - The blue stripe on the green neon extends through the tail, where the cardinal's stops on the body.

Paracheirodon axelrodi are legal imports to Australia as of 20/10/2013:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiv...mport-list.pdf

The IUCN Red List reports Paracheirodon axelrodi as a species which has not yet been assessed at 20/10/2013:
http://www.iucnredlist.org/search

It is very important not to release any aquarium specimens into our waterways. Any that are not sold or re-homed/ given away, can often be re-sold to aquarium stores. If they are homed in ponds, care should be taken that they cannot escape in run-off into our waterways. Even if fish are native & local they should not be moved from one waterway to another, as this can transfer disease. If they are not local fish, they can both spread disease and either out-compete or eat local fish, shrimp & plants, causing their demise.

They are a good fish for beginners.


Photo thanks to Plantbrain


Photo thanks to Plantbrain