TankBud

Cardinal toothcarp

Brachyrhaphis roseni

Also known as Cardinal Brachy, Olomina

FreshwaterFish

Cardinal toothcarp (Brachyrhaphis roseni)
Livebearerguy · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–86°F
22–30°C
pH
7.0–8.0
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Livebearer · Easy
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Poeciliidae
Origin
Costa Rica, Panama

Overview

The cardinal toothcarp is a small, lively livebearer for a planted tank with hard water. It is a good first fish.

Did you know

Male cardinal toothcarps are named for their bright red to orange fins edged in black. The males show off that bold pattern as they display to females in fast-flowing streams.

Caring for the cardinal toothcarp

Give a small group of cardinal toothcarps a tank of at least 16 gal (60 L), with room to move and display. A well-planted tank with some open swimming space suits them. Add gentle to moderate flow and steady filtration.

They do best in warm, hard, slightly alkaline water, at 72 to 86°F (22 to 30°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.0. Clean, well-oxygenated water keeps them in good condition. Feed a varied diet of good flake and small frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia. Let them graze the algae and tiny invertebrates that build up in the tank.

Cardinal toothcarps are lively mid-water fish and mostly peaceful with tank mates of their own size. They will nip slow or long-finned fish and may eat very small companions, so choose active tank mates that are not tiny. Keep several females for each male, since males court constantly and can pester a lone female.

Females are the larger sex, while males stay smaller and slimmer. Males carry a gonopodium, a modified anal fin used to fertilize females internally. The female then gives birth to fully formed, free-swimming young instead of laying eggs. Broods come readily, and this is one of the easier livebearers to breed at home.

Good to know

The cardinal toothcarp belongs to the livebearer family Poeciliidae and is one of the Central American Brachyrhaphis species. It is also known as the cardinal brachy or the olomina.

In the wild

The cardinal toothcarp comes from the warm lowland streams and pools of Costa Rica and Panama. There it lives in flowing, mineral-rich water among plants and leaf litter.

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Tank mates

The cardinal toothcarp is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a cardinal toothcarp need?

A cardinal toothcarp needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a cardinal toothcarp need?

A cardinal toothcarp is comfortable at 72–86°F (22–30°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.

What does a cardinal toothcarp eat?

A cardinal toothcarp eats a varied diet of good flake and small frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia. It also grazes the algae and tiny invertebrates that build up in the tank.

How big does a cardinal toothcarp get?

An adult cardinal toothcarp reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How can you tell a male cardinal toothcarp from a female?

Males stay smaller and slimmer than females and carry a gonopodium, a modified anal fin used to fertilize females.

How does a cardinal toothcarp breed?

A cardinal toothcarp is a livebearer, and the female gives birth to fully formed, free-swimming young. Broods come readily, and it is one of the easier livebearers to breed at home.

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