Difference between Neon tetras and Cardinal Tetras?

[I Like Rare Fish]

What’s the difference, and is there any?

 

[robmcd]

Neon Tetra

Cardinal Tetra

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

I mean is there any difference species-wise and care-wise. Do you recognize my avatar from mfk?

 

[robmcd]

I mean is there any difference species-wise and care-wise. Do you recognize my avatar from mfk?

Oh man, you are killing me . We can't escape you.

Cardinals are a bit more sensitive to water hardness and quality. I find neons to be a bit more tolerant and hardy, but that's just my opinion and experience. Oh yeah, cardinals are about double the price at my LFS.

 

[Byron]

I mean is there any difference species-wise and care-wise.

Yes to both questions. These are two distinct species from very different habitat types.

There are actually three described species [Paracheirodon innesi, P. axelrodi and P. simulans] of the "neon" appearance, and one newly discovered species that will not be seen by hobbyists for quite a while given the very remote area in which Heiko Bleher found it in 2006. The three described species are obviously related, and phylogenetic analysis confirms this; they are in the genus Paracheirodon, where the fourth species will undoubtedly be classified when it is eventually described.

Paracheirodon innesi, the original "Neon" Tetra, occurs in habitats having cooler water in blackwater or clearwater streams of the upper Amazon basin in Peru, sections of the Rio Ucayali, and elsewhere. Most commercially available fish are tank raised, but they retain their needs/requirements.

P. axelrodi, the cardinal tetra, occurs in the Amazon Basin, primarily the northern tributaries of the Rio Negro in Brazil and Peru [Brazilian form], and the Orinoco basin in Columbia and Venezuela [Columbian form]. Occurs in forest streams and creeks in slow or standing water, well shaded by vegetation and frequently having aquatic plants. This species can live in warmer water than the neon tetra.

None of these species occur in brightly-lit areas, so floating plants are advisable to shade the tank. The cardinal actually has been described as having a light phobia. Soft acidic water is preferred.

 

[Akeath]

Cardinal Tetras are mostly wild caught, and are especially sensitive to water that is too hard or alkaline. They do well at pH levels anywhere from 3.5 to 6.5 pH, and will not thrive in water above 6.5 pH and very soft to soft water. When kept in hard water with too high of a pH they can develop calcium deposits in their kidneys. The acidic and soft conditions these fish need to thrive are not typical of tap water, so if keeping Cardinal Tetras you will likely need to make the water softer and more acidic through the use of driftwood, indian almond leaves, and/or filtering with peat. They also prefer warmer water, I wouldn't put them in water less than 75 degrees F., and they do well in water in the 80s, similar to Discus. In my experience they prefer shaded aquariums with low flow, and they are shy eaters that do best if their food is released in the middle of the water column.

Neon Tetras have been captive bred for many generations, and while they also do well in soft and acidic water they are more flexible about it, tolerating neutral or moderately hard water better than their Cardinal cousins would. Neon Tetras are especially sensitive to even trace amounts of nitrogenous wastes, though, and do better in established tanks that have been cycled for at least 6 months. Live plants are also a plus. You should try to keep the Nitrates below 20 ppm for them, which is good practice for any fish but especially important for Neons. Neons also prefer cooler water, 72-78 degrees should be comfortable for them. Both Cardinals and Neon Tetras are schooling fish that need 6-8 or more of their own kind, but Neons are more prone to fin nipping if kept in too small of a school and Neons tend not to school as tightly as Cardinals.