Cardinal Tetra

Found in Brazil, Venezuela and Columbia, the Cardinal Tetra was first described by Schultz in 1956 and named after one of the more famous fish discoverers Herbert Alexrod. Very similar in appearance with its famous cousin the Neon Tetra, in the Cardinal Tetra, the red streak along the belly region extends from the mouth to the tail, with an iridescent blue stripe on top. While the natural habitat is open water with lots of shading and a low Ph value, most Cardinals are now farm raised and can tolerate a wide range of Ph values. This Tetra should be kept in larger schools with mostly open areas and secure areas along the perimeter of the aquarium. Special care should be taken when acclimating this Tetra to the aquarium, use a slow drip method and take up to 3 hours to acclimate. Tetras are one of the standard fish of the aquarium. Schooling fish, they will do best when there are more than 3 fish in the school. Generally peaceful, they can match up with just about any other type of fish that is not large enough to eat them. While the Tetra might prefer softer, acidic water conditions, most can adapt to a wide range of water parameters. Most are now raised in Florida and SE Asia under conditions very different than their natural habitat in South America. As an omnivore, Tetras will eat most aquarium prepared foods, darting to the surface for floating food and picking sinking food out of the water as it descends. They will be more at home if there is a fair amount of cover to dart into if they feel threatened. While it is possible, most Tetras will not spawn in the home aquarium. If they do, several males will chase the female as she scatters the eggs among the plants. Relatively hardy, care should be taken when treating Tetras with parasitic medications.

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