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By George Chao

Are you looking to create a tropical aquarium? Do you want to add more fish to your existing aquarium? If so, consider getting the serpae tetra fish. Serpae tetras are community fish that will mix well with other fish. Whether you are a seasoned aquarist or someone who is only starting to discover the wonderful world of aquarying, the serpae tetra fish is a good choice for your aquarium. Serpae tetras are community fish that are easy to keep. They are hardy fish and mix well with small fish in an aquarium.

Originally from South America, Peru and the Amazon River basin, the serpae tetra fish is sleek, tall and compressed. A serpae tetra fish typically grows up to 2.2 inches long. The female serpae tetra fish is generally a bit more rounded than its male counterpart. The color of the serpae tetra fish’s body can range from bright red to reddish brown. The serpae tetra fish’s ventral and anal fins are red. Its dorsal fin, however, is black with white fringing. A black spot can be found behind its gill cover. As the serpae tetra fish ages, this black spot slowly become smaller.

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By Allen Jesson

The Cardinal tetra is similar to more frequently kept Neon tetra, but is much more difficult to breed in aquariums. Since both species look similar to each other at first glance, they are sometimes mixed up with each other and the Cardinal tetra is sometimes erroneously referred to as “red neon tetra”. Telling them apart is however not very difficult. Both species have a characteristic sparkling blue line that bisects the body, and under this line you will notice a red lateral stripe. If this red coloration extends only halfway to the nose of the fish, you know that it is a Neon tetra. If the red coloration instead extends much longer, you are looking at a Cardinal tetra. The red coloration of the Cardinal tetra was thought to resemble the long red robes worn by cardinals, hence the name. The scientific name of this species was given to it in honour of a highly regarded ichthyologist.

Since the Cardinal tetra is quite difficult to breed in aquariums, a majority of the Cardinal tetras in the aquarium trade has been wild caught. The native habitat of the Cardinal tetra is the upper Orinoco and Negro rivers in South America, where the water is acidic and very soft. Fortunately enough, the Cardinal tetra is very prolific in the wild and is not considered an endangered species. It is only reluctant to breed when kept in aquariums. In the wild, it is uncommon for a Cardinal tetra to grow older than one year. When you keep Cardinal tetras in aquariums without any predators around, you can however make them survive for several years.

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