CARDINAL TETRAS - Red Cardinals to Enhance the Beauty of Your Aquarium

Cardinal tetras Paracheirodon axelrodi waking up in an aquarium. Just after the lights were turned on. Its skin yet in a pink tone.
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Originating from South America, Cardinal tetra fish are very common among the fish-keepers and are found in many aquariums and tanks all over the world. They are freshwater fish and easy for the beginners.

Their body is decorated with a blue line dividing the body. The body carries red stripes which are longer. Actually, that is the distinguishing feature between a cardinal tetra and neon tetra fish. If the stripes are short, the fish is neon tetra.

In fact, the name cardinal tetra comes from this red color. It resembles the red robes which are worn by the Cardinals!

Cardinal tetras are difficult to breed in captivity so their availability is always lesser than the demand. Many pet fish stores sell cardinal tetras which are caught from their natural habitat. They are not endangered species and they are found in plenty.

They have a very short life-span of about a year, so their entire life cycle including reproduction finishes during this period. However, if you provide the ideal conditions for them in your aquarium, they can live a much longer life.

They will grow only up to 2 inches in length so they don't require a large aquarium. You can accommodate them even in a small tank of 5 gallons. As they are peaceful by nature, you can keep them in community aquariums also. Most of the time, they stay in the middle of the water so you can keep other bottom-dwelling or surface swimming fish with them.

There is no problem while feeding cardinal tetras. They can accept all types of food including vegetables, flaked food and live food like brine shrimp or blood-worms.

If you can provide the environment which resembles in South American rivers where they are found, they will live happily for a long time. The pH level of the water should be lower and the temperature of the water should be around 72-82 degrees F. They can survive even in the higher temperatures. The hardness of the water should be moderate.

Only important factor while keeping cardinal tetras is the level of toxic elements in the water. They are sensitive about the nitrates and nitrites in the water and you should set up a good filtration system to keep the water clean. In addition, you should make frequent replacements of the aquarium water.

You should provide a thickly planted aquarium for the cardinal tetras with preferably an open swimming area. There should be some floating plants in the aquarium because which will provide ideal places for cardinal tetras to hide. They do not like bright lights so the lighting in the aquarium should be moderate and the aquarium should not be in the direct sunlight.

As tetras, on the whole, are schooling fish, cardinal tetras are not an exception. While buying them, you should buy at least a group of 7-10 so that they will be happy to live with their friends. The beginners may think that this number is large but considering their easy maintenance and feeding habits, the whole group will be very colorful and lively for your aquarium.

The breeding of cardinal tetras is difficult because the fry are very delicate and sensitive to the environment and very few of them can survive. In addition, the adults eat the eggs and also the fry so it becomes very difficult for the beginners to protect the young ones.

However, those who want the enjoyment of a colorful and lively aquarium without many efforts then always go for cardinal tetras.

By Chintamani Abhyankar Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Fact Sheet: CARDINAL TETRA - Paracheirodon axelrodi

Photo  by Leino88 

The Cardinal Tetra, Paracheirodon axelrodi is closely related to the very popular Neon Tetra Paracheirodon innesi and the Green Neon Tetra Paracheirodon simulans. It is less closely related to the hundreds of other tetra species. The Cardinal's specific name, axelrodi was given to honour the great fish expert, Herbert R. Axelrod. The Black Neon Tetra Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi is not a very close relative of the Neon or the Cardinal. Its name is misleading.

The Cardinal Tetra's maximum length is a little over 4cm. Cardinal Tetras are a peaceful community fish suitable for keeping with other small, peaceful fish. Common companions include other small tetras, small Rasboras, Guppies and other livebearers like platies and swordtails, as well as Corydoras catfish.

Cardinal Tetras are often kept successfully with discus and seem better able to tolerate the high temperatures. Discus fish need than Neons. They are also a little bigger than Neons and less likely to be eaten by a discus.

Fish I would not recommend putting with Cardinals include all large fish, Buenos Aires Tetras and Tiger Barbs. I have known cases where people have successfully kept Cardinals with some of the fish I just listed, but there is some danger if you attempt it. If you keep Angel Fish and Cardinal Tetras together, you need to accept the likelihood of the Angel Fish growing big enough to eat the small fish.

The Cardinal Tetra comes from the upper reaches of the Amazon River. This is a tropical area and is a tropical fish. Cardinals should have heated water, unless they can be kept in a room that never gets cold. The obvious way to heat the water is with an aquarium heater. I suggest setting the thermostat to 24C.

It comes from acidic and extremely softwater. This is the ideal water for them and is probably essential if you want to breed Cardinals. However, they can be kept successfully in water with Ph ranging from 5.0 to 7.4. They will tolerate moderately hard water for living in, but extremely softwater is needed if you want to attempt to breed them. When they are kept with mixed other fish in an aquarium, I recommend a Ph of about 7. Some cover like plants are beneficial for the fish.

Cardinals can be kept successfully, even in the strange water that comes through the taps in the Adelaide Hills as long as you get rid of the high level of Chloramine and adjust the Ph.

Like many tetras, the Cardinal is a schooling fish and I recommend that at least five be kept together. A school in an aquarium is a surprisingly beautiful sight. When it is dark, this fish losses its bright colours, but quickly regains them when it gets light again.

Although Cardinals will school with their own species for preference, if there are too few Cardinals to form a school they can school with Neons.

Like many fish, Cardinal Tetras are naturally omnivores and will eat a wide variety of food in the aquarium. Flakes are the normal basic diet for them. I find they also benefit from dry fry food. They enjoy small live food like small wrigglers (mosquito larvae) and small crustaceans like daphnia. Frozen foods like blood worms are also good. Remember they are small fish. DO NOT OVERFEED.

By Steve Challis Steve Challis has many other fish fact sheets and other articles on http://www.bettatrading.com.au. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Related articles

• How to Select Between CARDINAL TETRAS and NEON TETRAS

CARDINAL TETRA

Cardinal tetras Paracheirodon axelrodi waking up in an aquarium.
Just after the lights were turned on. Its skin yet in a pink tone.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Cardinal tetra is similar to more frequently kept Neon tetra but is much more difficult to breed in aquariums. Since both species look similar to each other at first glance, they are sometimes mixed up with each other and the Cardinal tetra is sometimes erroneously referred to as "red neon tetra". Telling them apart is however not very difficult. Both species have a characteristic sparkling blue line that bisects the body, and under this line, you will notice a red lateral stripe. If this red coloration extends only halfway to the nose of the fish, you know that it is a Neon tetra. If the red coloration instead extends much longer, you are looking at a Cardinal tetra. The red coloration of the Cardinal tetra was thought to resemble the long red robes worn by cardinals, hence the name. The scientific name of this species was given to it in honor of a highly regarded ichthyologist.

Since the Cardinal tetra is quite difficult to breed in aquariums, a majority of the Cardinal tetras in the aquarium trade has been wild caught. The native habitat of the Cardinal tetra is the upper Orinoco and Negro rivers in South America, where the water is acidic and very soft. Fortunately enough, the Cardinal tetra is very prolific in the wild and is not considered an endangered species. It is only reluctant to breed when kept in aquariums. In the wild, it is uncommon for a Cardinal tetra to grow older than one year. When you keep Cardinal tetras in aquariums without any predators around, you can, however, make them survive for several years.

The Cardinal tetra can be kept in community aquariums with other peaceful species that appreciate the same water conditions. It will usually stay smaller than 2 inches in length and a group of Cardinal tetras does not need a large aquarium to do well. This species is rarely found in beginner aquariums since it is quite scarce in the aquarium trade, but it is not overly sensitive and a dedicated beginner aquarium keeper that is prepared to monitor the water chemistry and perform frequent water changes can usually make his or her Cardinal tetras thrive. It is especially important to keep down the level of nitrate. The Cardinal tetra is a schooling fish and keeping at least ten specimens is recommended, since this will make the fish less shy and stressed. Cardinal tetras are also much more beautiful to watch when they form a big school, and living in a school makes them display a much broader variety of natural behaviors.

When you set up an aquarium for your Cardinal tetras you should ideally try to make it similar to the native habitat of the fish. A well-planted aquarium that contains floating species is recommended, but you should also leave an area open for swimming. The water should be acidic and very soft. Keep the pH in the 4.6-6.2 range and the d G H under 4. Cardinal tetras can adapt to harder water and even alkaline conditions, but they will be much more sensitive and prone to illness. The recommended temperature range is 73-81° F (23-27 ° C) or even warmer.

By Allen Jesson - Article Source: EzineArticles

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How to Select Between CARDINAL TETRAS and NEON TETRAS

Neon Tetra Photo: Wikipedia

Cardinal tetras are beautiful fish because of their bright red color. They are very popular among the fish keepers. However, their cousins Neon tetras have shiny neon blue color and they are also attractive. So sometimes it becomes difficult for the fish-keepers to make a choice between them.

Neon tetras are inexpensive and sturdy fish ideal for beginners. As they have a good temperament, they fit well in a community aquarium. They can grow only up to 1 inch and they do not have any eating habits.

Cardinal tetras will grow up to 2 inches and they are expensive because their breeding in captivity is very difficult. They need to be imported from the South American region.

Cardinal Tetra Photo: Wikipedia

As neon tetras are hardy fish, they can tolerate variations in the living conditions. If there is any major change in the temperature of the water or the ph level, they will try to cope up with that environment. Out of the whole family of tetra fish, neon tetras are the toughest. On the other hand, cardinal tetras are very sensitive to the conditions of water and a slight change in the conditions of water may affect them in a big way.

Both cardinal tetras and neon tetras are schooling fish and the need to live in a group. When you decide to keep any of them, you should buy a group of at least 10. If they are kept alone, they will get stressed and will get sick and may die.

Both these species can eat any type of food offered to them. They love to eat live food but at the same time, they can eat boiled vegetables and flaked food. Both of them can eat small insects and worm which are present in the water.

However, both of these species love to remain in the middle level of the aquarium. So when you decide to keep both of them in one tank, there will be problems. Even though your aquarium is large, if both of them want to occupy the middle area, there will be territorial problems. In addition, there will be problems during the breeding periods of neon tetras. Their eggs may be eaten by cardinal tetras. So it is better to keep only one of them in the aquarium.

It is a difficult decision to make. However, here are a few guidelines for you:

1. If your budget is limited, cardinal tetras will be expensive for you. So you should go for neon tetras.

2. If you are a beginner, it will be very difficult for you to keep ideal conditions of water in the aquarium all the time. Even a slight variation in the conditions may hurt cardinal tetras. So you may select neon tetras to start with. Later you can think of keeping cardinal tetras.

3. However, if you have some experience in fish-keeping, and you want to show off your aquarium to your family and visitors, you can select cardinal tetras. Their beautiful bright red color will shine against appropriate background of substrate and decorations.

It is difficult to breed neon tetra is in captivity but it is almost impossible for the experienced breeders to try for cardinal tetras. Considering their huge demand, some experienced breeders may try to sell you something which they will label as neon tetras or cardinal tetras. The fish will be cheaper but may not show their bright colors and they may look dull and inactive. Most of the times, they may die soon after bringing home. So you should be careful while purchasing any of them. You should speak in details to the staff of the pet fish store and if possible consult your friends before you buy.

By Chintamani Abhyankar Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Tips on Raising Healthy CARDINAL TETRA

The cardinal tetra or Paracheirodon axelrodi is native to the Amazon River. Cardinals are among some of the most colorful freshwater fish varieties available commercially. They are a member of the family Characidae.

Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cardinal tetras and neon tetras look very similar in appearance. There are, however, subtle differences in body markings that can be used to distinguish them from one another. Cardinals have a red stripe or band that extends from their head to the base of their tails. Neon tetras have the same band but it starts mid-body and runs back to the tail rather than extending the entire length of the body. The cardinal tetras color palette tends to be a little more vibrant than that of neon tetras. Adult cardinals are a little larger than neons.

Cardinals reach approximately 2 inches in length. Even though they are a smaller variety of fish, cardinals need ample room to swim. They are not well suited for cramped living conditions. They are mid-tank swimmers and prefer a longer rather than taller swimming environment. This makes them the perfect candidate for wall mounted aquarium lines.

Cardinals are docile in nature. They function well in a community environment devoid of more aggressive species. They are a shoaling fish. The addition of several to your fish tank will help them mimic their behavior in their natural habitat. Cardinals do not thrive as a solitary fish. Under ideal conditions you can expect your cardinals to have a five year life span.

Like all natives to the Amazon River, the cardinal tetra thrives best in soft, slightly acidic water. A 6.8 pH level is premium. Aquarium stores sale water conditioners specifically for Amazon fish species. The cardinal functions best in water temperatures ranging from 70-79°F.

They are omnivores. There is no need to worry about specialty fish food products when raising tetras. Any freshwater tropical fish flakes will work

It is difficult to distinguish males from females. They are identical in color. The female's body tends to be a little rounder when they are carrying eggs.

Unlike bleeding heart tetras, cardinals will spawn in captivity. They are most likely to breed at night or in a dimly lit tank. Cardinal tetras are egg layers. They scatter their eggs. Like all tetras, cardinals will eat their eggs. A good way to prevent this from happening is to add a layer of marbles to the bottom of your fish tank. The eggs will slip through to the bottom where they will be safe until hatching time.

Here are some handy tips to follow if you intend to breed tetras. Keep them in a separate breeding tank provided with floating plants. They won't breed in hard, alkaline water. You can filter the water through peat or add thin layer to your substrate to imitate perfect mating conditions. Make sure the peat contains no chemical additives.

After they have spawned remove the adult fish from the breeding tank. Cardinal tetra fry hatch in about 24 hours. Once they hatch, they can be fed liquid fry food, infusoria, or rotifers. Both are readily available at fish specialty stores. Larger fry will thrive on small amounts of hard-boiled egg yolk ran through a food processor. Powdered eggs will also work.

Aquarium keeping is a fun and rewarding hobby. Freshwater aquarium fish care is the easiest and most economical way to enter the field of aquarium ownership. Less than a decade ago freshwater or saltwater fish were the only options available. But that has all changed.

By Stephen J Broy Keeping pet jellyfish is the latest trend in the world of aquariums. Pet jellyfish are a happy medium between the ease of freshwater fish and the demands and expense of keeping saltwater specimens alive and healthy. Jellyfish have much slower metabolisms than saltwater fish. Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums are less expensive to set up and maintain than saltwater tanks. If you find the idea of raising pet jellyfish intriguing, find out more about Moon Jellyfish and other Pet Jellies. Article Source: EzineArticles

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