
They prefer temperatures of 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit and soft water with a slightly acidic to neutral pH. HabitatĬardinal tetras originate from South America. They will happily swim around all types of community tanks and will even school with other species of similar size. Originating in South American rivers, Cardinal tetras are an extremely popular aquarium fish because of their beautiful coloration and because they school together well. They are mostly black with a red stripe on the lower half of their body. Neon tetras are easy to breed in the aquarium if you provide them with plenty of live food, soft water, and a breeding tank with dim lighting. Males are slimmer and have more pointed dorsal fins than females. Provide high-quality flake food as well as regular feedings of live foods such as brine shrimp. Neon tetras are omnivores that feed mostly at night. Males may become aggressive towards each other in small quarters so provide at least 20 gallons per neon tetra. Neon tetras are peaceful, schooling fish that can be kept with any peaceful community fish of similar size. In addition to a tank, provide live plants and driftwood for hiding places. They do best in soft water with neutral pH, but will tolerate more alkaline or acidic conditions as well. Neon tetras are from the Amazon River basin in South America and prefer temperatures of 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit. Originating in South American rivers, Neon tetras are an extremely popular aquarium fish because of their beautiful coloration. They are mostly black with blue horizontal stripes on the body. They are not as brightly colored as Cardinal Tetras. Read on to find out more about Neon Tetra vs Cardinal Tetra. Both types will eat flake foods as well as small live foods, such as brine shrimp or daphnia. The Neon Tetra has a black body with bright blue horizontal stripes. The Cardinal Tetra has a silver body with a dark line extending from its gills back to its tail, and a red stripe on the lower half of its body.

Other differences between neon tetra and cardinal tetras include coloration and eating habits.
