It will be a few weeks before they are ready to be put back in a community tank. The fry will survive in a community tank, but it is best to remove them from the tank and place them in a quiet environment until they can swim independently. Be sure to keep the water clean and change it regularly. Commercial fry food is a good option, but you can also feed them crushed flake food or powdered food. When breeding cardinal tetras, providing a good food source for the fry is important. Add a few mature, healthy plants to the tank and set the water temperature at 72-79 degrees F. This can be a 10-20 gallon tank with plenty of plants and decorations. They will grow rapidly and can be sexually mature in a few months.Ĭreate a separate breeding tank for your cardinal tetras if you want to increase your chances of spawning them.

They can also be fed a crushed flake food or powdered food diet. The fry will need to be fed a diet of baby brine shrimp or other small live food. The eggs will hatch in 2-3 days, and the fry will be able to swim on their own in a few more days. The female cardinal tetra will deposit her eggs on a leaf or other surface, and the male will fertilize them. They will breed in a community tank with other peaceful fish. Read: Best Ruby Tetra Guide: Explained in Details Cardinal Tetra BreedingĬardinal tetras are one of the easiest fish to breed. That makes them one of the smaller fish that are commonly kept in the aquarium hobby. The average size of a cardinal tetra is about 2.5 inches (6 cm). Her coloration is not as bright as the males, and her fins are shorter. The female cardinal tetra is larger than the male and has a rounder body. He also has brighter red coloration and longer fins. The male cardinal tetra is typically smaller than the female and has a more slender body.

All of the fins on a Cardinal Tetra are red, whereas Neon Tetras typically have black fins. The main difference between Cardinal Tetras and Neon Tetras is that Cardinal Tetras have a much deeper red color and a longer tail. They resemble a small red triangle with a long tail from the side. They also have a unique shape, with their body being almost triangular in cross-section.

Cardinal tetra