Cardinal Tetra tank mates
Paracheirodon axelrodi
Cardinal Tetra gets along with 49 species, needs care with 137, and should avoid 2.
Fish2" adultPeaceful15+ gallons73–81°FpH 5–7
buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
49Compatible
137With care
2Avoid
Best tank mates (hand-picked)
The most reliable companions for Cardinal Tetra — peaceful, and matched on water temperature and pH.
Red-Line RasboraPeaceful fish, shares 73–81°F & pH 5–7Black Kuhli LoachPeaceful fish, shares 73–81°F & pH 5.5–7Black Neon TetraPeaceful fish, shares 73–81°F & pH 5.5–7Ember TetraPeaceful fish, shares 73–81°F & pH 5.5–7Gold Kuhli LoachPeaceful fish, shares 73–81°F & pH 5.5–7Kuhli LoachPeaceful fish, shares 73–81°F & pH 5.5–7Lambchop RasboraPeaceful fish, shares 73–81°F & pH 5.5–7Clown RasboraPeaceful fish, shares 73–81°F & pH 5.5–7Least RasboraPeaceful fish, shares 75–81°F & pH 5–7
Stocking more than one fish?
Don’t check pairs one at a time. Add Cardinal Tetra and every other fish you’re considering to the compatibility checker, and see how the whole community gets along at once — with tank-size and water-parameter conflicts flagged automatically.
Check my whole list →Best avoided (2 total)
A few to steer clear of — and exactly why:
Giant GouramiGiant Gourami’s mouth is big enough to swallow Cardinal Tetra (only 2" long) — it will be eaten.OscarOscar’s mouth is big enough to swallow Cardinal Tetra (only 2" long) — it will be eaten.
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
Skapelab plans a complete, buildable planted aquarium around your fish — a hand-illustrated layout, the exact plants and hardscape, a placement map, and a full equipment and shopping list. Free.
Design a tank with Cardinal Tetra →The full compatibility list
Every species we checked against Cardinal Tetra — tap to expand.
Compatible (49)
Adolfo's CoryFish · 2.25"Bandit CoryFish · 2"Black Kuhli LoachFish · 3"Black Neon TetraFish · 1.5"Black Sail CoryFish · 2"Blackstripe CoryFish · 2.2"Bristlenose PlecoFish · 5"Bronze CoryFish · 2.75"Cherry BarbFish · 2"Chocolate GouramiFish · 2"Clown RasboraFish · 4"Dwarf Cory (Habrosus)Fish · 1"Elegant CoryFish · 2"Ember TetraFish · 0.8"Emerald Cory (Brochis)Fish · 3"False Julii CoryFish · 2"False Rummy Nose TetraFish · 2"German Blue RamFish · 2.5"Gold Kuhli LoachFish · 3.5"Green Neon TetraFish · 1"Harlequin RasboraFish · 1.75"Julii CoryFish · 2"Kuhli LoachFish · 4"Lambchop RasboraFish · 1.25"Least RasboraFish · 0.8"Licorice GouramiFish · 1.4"Neon Blue RasboraFish · 0.8"Neon Green RasboraFish · 0.8"Neon TetraFish · 1.5"Otocinclus CatfishFish · 1.5"Panda CoryFish · 2"Phoenix RasboraFish · 0.8"Pygmy CoryFish · 1"Pygmy RasboraFish · 0.8"Red-Line RasboraFish · 1.75"Rummynose TetraFish · 2"Saddled CoryFish · 1.8"Schwartz's CoryFish · 2.5"Scissortail RasboraFish · 3.5"Skunk CoryFish · 2"Slender RasboraFish · 1.5"Smudge Spot CoryFish · 2.25"Sparkling GouramiFish · 1.5"Spotted Tail CoryFish · 2.2"Sterbai CoryFish · 2.6"Two-Saddled CoryFish · 2.5"Venezuelan CoryFish · 2.5"Zebra OtocinclusFish · 1.5"Zebra PlecoFish · 3.5"
Keep only with care (137)
Albino CoryFish · 2.5"Amano ShrimpShrimp · 2"AngelfishFish · 6"Assassin SnailSnail · 1"Axelrod's RasboraFish · 0.6"Bamboo / Wood ShrimpShrimp · 3.5"Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish)Fish · 2.5"Black King Kong ShrimpShrimp · 1"Black Rose ShrimpShrimp · 1.5"Black Skirt TetraFish · 2.5"Bladder SnailSnail · 0.5"Blue Bolt ShrimpShrimp · 1"Blue Dream ShrimpShrimp · 1"Blue GouramiFish · 5"Blue Phantom PlecoFish · 7"Blue Tiger ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Blue Velvet ShrimpShrimp · 1"Bolivian RamFish · 3.5"Brazos Dwarf CrayfishCrayfish · 1.5"Brilliant RasboraFish · 4"Cajun Dwarf CrayfishCrayfish · 1.5"Candy Striped PlecoFish · 4"Carbon Rili ShrimpShrimp · 1.5"Cherry ShrimpShrimp · 1"Chili RasboraFish · 0.7"Clown PlecoFish · 3.5"Colombian Zebra PlecoFish · 3.5"Croaking GouramiFish · 3"Crystal Red ShrimpShrimp · 1"Dwarf Crayfish (CPO)Crayfish · 1.75"Dwarf Emerald RasboraFish · 1"Dwarf Emerald Rasbora (nanus)Fish · 0.7"Dwarf GouramiFish · 3.5"Emerald Dwarf RasboraFish · 0.9"Emerald Eye RasboraFish · 1.4"Fire RasboraFish · 1.6"Flower ShrimpShrimp · 2.5"Ghost ShrimpShrimp · 1.5"Gold GouramiFish · 6"Green Jade ShrimpShrimp · 1"Green Tiger BarbFish · 2.75"Hengel's RasboraFish · 1.2"Honey GouramiFish · 2"Japanese Trapdoor SnailSnail · 2"King Tiger PlecoFish · 6"Koi AngelfishFish · 6"KribensisFish · 3.5"Leopard Frog PlecoFish · 4.5"Malaysian Trumpet SnailSnail · 1"Mischling / Taiwan BeeShrimp · 1"Moonlight GouramiFish · 6"Nerite SnailSnail · 1"Noble GouramiFish · 3"Olive Nerite SnailSnail · 0.75"Opaline GouramiFish · 6"Orange Eye Blue Tiger ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Orange Rili ShrimpShrimp · 1"Pagoda / Spiky SnailSnail · 1.5"Painted Fire Red ShrimpShrimp · 1.5"Pearl GouramiFish · 4.5"Pinto ShrimpShrimp · 1"Pitbull PlecoFish · 2.5"Pom Pom CrabCrab · 1"Pond SnailSnail · 2"Ramshorn SnailSnail · 1"Red Nose ShrimpShrimp · 1.5"Red Rili ShrimpShrimp · 1"Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose)Fish · 4.5"Siamese Algae EaterFish · 6"Siamese Algae EaterFish · 6"Snowball ShrimpShrimp · 1"Spike-Topped Apple SnailSnail · 1.5"Strawberry RasboraFish · 0.7"Tail Spot Pygmy CoryFish · 1"Tangerine Tiger ShrimpShrimp · 1"Thai Micro CrabCrab · 0.4"Thai Micro Pom Pom CrabCrab · 0.8"Thick-lipped GouramiFish · 3.5"Threestripe CoryFish · 2.2"Tiger BarbFish · 2.75"Tiger ShrimpShrimp · 1"Vampire ShrimpShrimp · 6"Wild-Type BettaFish · 2.5"Yellow King Kong ShrimpShrimp · 1"Yellow Neocaridina ShrimpShrimp · 1"Zebra DanioFish · 2"Altum AngelfishFish · 7"Batik Nerite SnailSnail · 0.6"Black MollyFish · 4"Blue Lobster CrayfishCrayfish · 5"Blue Mystery SnailSnail · 1.8"Cardinal ShrimpShrimp · 0.8"Carnival / Polka Dot Freshwater CrabCrab · 1.5"Chocolate ShrimpShrimp · 1"Colombian RamshornSnail · 2"Common PlecoFish · 24"DiscusFish · 8"Electric Blue CrayfishCrayfish · 5"Endler's LivebearerFish · 1.2"Fancy Guppy (Female trio)Fish · 2.4"Fiddler CrabCrab · 2"Flash Pleco (L204)Fish · 20"Giant Sulawesi SnailSnail · 3"Gold Mystery SnailSnail · 1.8"GuppyFish · 2"Horned Nerite SnailSnail · 0.5"Ivory Mystery SnailSnail · 1.8"Kissing GouramiFish · 12"Longfin Bristlenose PlecoFish · 5"Marbled CrayfishCrayfish · 5"MollyFish · 4"Mystery SnailSnail · 2"Oolong ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Panther CrabCrab · 3"PlatyFish · 2.5"Purple Vampire CrabCrab · 1.5"Rabbit SnailSnail · 3"Red Claw CrabCrab · 2.5"Red Devil Vampire CrabCrab · 1.5"Red Racer Nerite SnailSnail · 0.75"Red Shadow Panda ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Royal PlecoFish · 17"Sailfin MollyFish · 5"Shadow Panda ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Spiky NeriteSnail · 0.7"Sulawesi SnailSnail · 2"Super Crystal Red ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"SwordtailFish · 5.5"Thai Devil CrabCrab · 2"Thai Freshwater CrabCrab · 2.5"Tracked Nerite SnailSnail · 0.8"Typhoon PlecoFish · 12"Variatus PlatyFish · 2.75"White Glove ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Wine Red ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Yucatan MollyFish · 6"Zebra Nerite SnailSnail · 1"