Species profile
Cardinal tetra
Paracheirodon axelrodi
ai-generated confidence: high
AI-generated aquarium-care values from common hobby consensus; expert review is recommended before launch-quality advice.
Care table
| Water type | freshwater |
|---|---|
| Care level | easy to moderate |
| Minimum tank | 15 US gal / 57 L |
| Minimum group size | 6 |
| Adult size | 5 cm |
| Temperature | 24-29 C |
| pH | 4.5-7 |
| Hardness | 1-8 dGH |
| Salinity | 0-0 ppt |
| Temperament | peaceful schooling |
| Aggression notes | Peaceful blackwater schooling fish; warmer and softer-water leaning than neon tetras. |
| Diet | omnivore |
| Swim zone | middle |
| Activity level | moderate |
| Bioload | low |
| Reef safe | Not applicable or not reviewed |
| Plant safe | Yes |
| Invert safe | Yes |
| Compatibility tags | freshwater, schooling, peaceful-community, soft-water, tiny-fish, warm-water |
| Avoid with tags | large-predator, aggressive-fish, hard-water-specialist |
Tank mate compatibility
Generated same-water-type pair checks for Cardinal tetra.
- Can Cardinal tetra and Angelfish live together? not recommended
- Can Cardinal tetra and Betta live together? compatible
- Can Cardinal tetra and Bristlenose pleco live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Bronze cory live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Cherry shrimp live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Chili rasbora live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Ember tetra live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Harlequin rasbora live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Guppy live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Honey gourami live together? compatible
- Can Cardinal tetra and Molly live together? not recommended
- Can Cardinal tetra and Kuhli loach live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Neon tetra live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Otocinclus live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Pearl gourami live together? compatible
- Can Cardinal tetra and Peppered cory live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Platy live together? not recommended
- Can Cardinal tetra and Pygmy cory live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Swordtail live together? not recommended
- Can Cardinal tetra and Tiger barb live together? caution
- Can Cardinal tetra and Zebra danio live together? caution
Sources and attribution
Source links are verification references for taxonomy and identifiers. Aquarium-care values are AI-generated from common hobby consensus and need expert review before launch-quality advice.
- Wikidata search - Taxonomy/identifier verification lead only.
- GBIF species search - Taxonomy verification lead only.