Can cardinal tetras live with elephant nose fish?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Cardinal tetras and elephant nose fish can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown elephant nose fish may treat small cardinal tetras as food, especially at night.

Cardinal tetra76–84°F · pH 4.6–7

Elephant nose fish73–82°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Watch outA grown elephant nose fish may treat small cardinal tetras as food, especially at night.

What works

Both are fine at 76–82°F.
pH 6–7 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: cardinal tetras the mid, elephant nose fish the bottom.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Cardinal tetra	Elephant nose fish
Temperature	76–84 °F	73–82 °F
pH	4.6–7	6–7.5
Adult size	2.0 in	9.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Groups of 6+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Omnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for cardinal tetras

All cardinal tetra tank mates

Better tank mates for elephant nose fish

All elephant nose fish tank mates

Questions

Can cardinal tetras live with elephant nose fish?

Yes, with care. Cardinal tetras and elephant nose fish can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown elephant nose fish may treat small cardinal tetras as food, especially at night.

What temperature suits both cardinal tetras and elephant nose fish?

76–82 °F. Cardinal tetras need 76–84 °F, elephant nose fish need 73–82 °F.

What size tank do cardinal tetras and elephant nose fish need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the elephant nose fish. Add space for each extra fish.