Can Cardinal Tetra and Red Zebra live together?

Cardinal Tetra and Red Zebra are not compatible. The comparison on this page runs the same compatibility engine as the tank builder, checking temperature and pH overlap, predation by size, temperament, and known hard-pair conflicts.

Species Comparison

Cardinal Tetra vs Red Zebra

Cardinal Tetra

Paracheirodon axelrodi

Red Zebra

Maylandia estherae

Verdict:Not compatible

Side-by-side specs

Tetras

Family

Cichlids

2″

Adult size

5″

20gal

Min tank

75gal

73–81°F

Temperature

75–82°F

4.5–7

7.8–8.6

peaceful

Temperament

aggressive

Schooling

Solitary

mid

Water level

mid

Compatibility notes

warnCardinal Tetra prefers pH 4.5–7, Red Zebra prefers 7.8–8.6 — water chemistry mismatch.
criticalRed Zebra is aggressive and will bully peaceful Cardinal Tetra.

Try both in the builder →Compare different species