CARDINAL in NATURE / NEON TETRA in NATURE, see the NATURAL HABITAT of PARACHEIRODON AXELRODI!

cardinal tetra or red neon tetra ( Paracheirodon axelrodi ) is one of the most popular aquarium fish of all time. Come see their natural habitat where hundreds of the beautiful cardinal tetras school in the shallow water.
Other fish in this habitat include: Hemigrammus stictus , Dicrossus filamentosus , Apistogrammas Hemigrammus rubrostriatus , Axelrodia riesei , Nanostomus unitaeniatus and Aequidens metae.
Want to see Rummynose tetras in nature?
• RUMMYNOSE tetras in na...
Japanese Version: • CARDINAL in NATURE / N...
Deutsche Version: • ROTE NEON SALMLER (PAR...
Also check out our other videos of other famous fish in nature:
GOLD NUGGET PLECO collecting - • GOLD NUGGET PLECO , Ba... ( Baryancistrus xanthellus )
PIRANHAS guide - • PIRANHA Guide I: PYGOC... ( Pygocentrus cariba and others )
CARDINALS in nature - • CARDINAL in NATURE / N... ( Paracheirodon axelrodi )
APISTOGRAMMA in nature - • BLACKWATER! APISTOGRAM... ( Apistogramma alacrina and others )
CORYDORAS in nature - • CORYDORAS in NATURE ( ... ( Corydoras apiaka habitat destruction )
STINGRAYS collecting in nature - • Catching STINGRAYS - P... ( Potamotrygon motoro )
BLUE RAMS in nature - • BLUE RAM - RAMIREZI CI... ( Mikrogeophagus ramirezi )

[@petery4801]

This is the first time I've heard this logic, usually conservationist will bitterly condemn wild caught biodiversity. It actually makes a lot of sense. If people depend on something for a living, they will work to protect it as a community, just like clean drinking water. Thanks for posting

[@drewstyring1446]

Lots of conservationists can be radical and fanatical in their beliefs. They don't stop to analyze the logic behind things like this.

[@NewArchipelago]

From what I've read, a lot of the fish that get caught have already spawned and don't even survive much longer after that in the wild. A lot of them live up to about a year in the wild (i.e. one breeding season), but live for several years in the aquarium. You can look up Project Piaba to learn more about this kind of conservation effort. From wikipedia: Project Piaba (pronounced [pi:ˈɑ:bɑ:]) is a fishery initiative located on the Rio Negro tributary of the Amazon river. The program both promotes and researches sustainable aquarium pet fish collection and its impact on the environment. The name of the project comes from the Brazilian Portuguese word, piaba, which means "little fish",[1] referring specifically to the cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi).[2] Project Piaba is an ongoing project with annual research expeditions to the Rio Negro region.[2] Because of the sustainable nature of the project, its slogan is "Buy a Fish, Save a Tree!"

[@anatomicallycorrupt]

Very true but many wild caught animals in the pet trade are caught by poachers rather than locals just trying to make a living

[@Sshooter444]

Classical conservation endorses the wise use of natural resources. Only in the last 50 years has the "preservationist" mindset taken over. It is anti-science and statistics. Legal sport hunting and fishing has preserved far more species from extinction than any "green" environmentalist. "Sustainable" is a word I hate because its become a meme, but in its true form it requires the active management of natural resources, not preservation for preservation's sake.

[@graphite2786]

I hope that little creek is still as beautiful and untouched today in the 2020's as it was back in the 90's.

[@drwnmss3313]

Just like your country?

[@nayaleezy]

sorry, it's now a jet ski tourist destination.

[@dismalfist]

It's now an Amazon warehouse.

[@hhinojosareef1]

@@dismalfist 🤣😂🤣

[@LeeDfined]

Not realistic unfortunately.

[@Frezzed]

Footage from the 1990's? That's pretty good underwater video quality for that time! xD

[@belowwater]

but just 720p... best viewed on no more than an iPad

[@keramiroberts6695]

Really? We just watched it on our big TV and it looks beautiful

[@davidlu1003]

This is my favorite aquarium fish.💗💗💗

[@NewArchipelago]

It's great to see fish we're so familiar with in their natural habitat. It makes you appreciate their beauty all the more. The idea of supporting sustainable harvesting of fish as a way to support people's livelihoods and maybe indirectly contribute to avoiding more destructive industries was new to me. It's an idea wort spreading. If you agree, I'd like to translate this and share the video on Chinese social media (because sites like KZbin are blocked there.

[@wtfmrb293]

I have a bunch of cardinal tetras. Love them

[@gagethedarkrailfan7417]

Aww just look at those beautiful little blue and red cardinal tetras happily swimming together in big schools, i enjoyed watching them actually in the wild instead of the aquariums, I wish all of those tetras are my babys (living in my aquarium) and love them forever! ❤️

[@cutefish7317]

Those are the most beautiful aquarium fish.

[@uncleknife9887]

Your channel is one on those fantastic finds that keeps me faithfully searching through all the mediocre content that's required to make such a find. About once a year I find a channel that makes all the searching worth while. So far, this year, Below Water is the best channel I've discovered. Thanks Mr. Oliver. You have yet another dedicated subscriber that won't miss a second of your uploads. I can't wait to see what you have to share with the world next. God Bless You!

[@belowwater]

thank you!

[@VinylUnboxings]

"Complex Structured Bottoms" is a perfect term for what I've been trying to accomplish in my tank.

[@Trojan0304]

Great nature video, thanks for sharing 👍👍👍

[@brannonevans3685]

Love it.. I could spend all day, many days snorkeling or diving at a spot like this, and never ever get tired of it. BEAUTIFUL!

[@belowwater]

Thank you

[@GreatNW]

I appreciate that you go against the grain of most people saying not to buy wild caught. Tell the facts, not a story.

[@johnnybest6386]

Great info

[@thefelper.7181]

😍 The most beautiful video I've seen of tetras from the Orinoco. Thank you so much for sharing. I am from Caracas and we rarely have a chance to see this beauties in their natural habitat. They are in our country, but it feels like an expedition to another country to go and see them. Thank you again for the chance to watch this 🙏🏻.

[@belowwater]

i have made the long drive from Carabobo to P.Ayacucho many times.... it is not fun, and maybe not very safe at the moment.

[@kenjiro2676]

I support this, I support wild conservation and responsible importation of fish. The hobby needs to improve their breeding ethics, the fish are too inbred and some species are suffering. The neon tetra is a perfect example, this species was once healthy but the farms mass producing them didn’t outcross their breeding stock. As a result, they are very inbred and weak. They also weren't dedicated enough to cull weaker fish. Those weaker and faulty fish were allowed to breed and taint the gene pool. We need to get wild caught neon tetras into fish farms to reinvigorate breeding stock.

[@guilhermedavila4481]

Tetra neon não se reproduz em fazenda somente na natureza.

[@Mikolji]

Great video Oliver, Thanks for sharing all this information with your followers.

[@thesalviniadude3882]

hi

[@dreadfullguppy19]

excellent presentation as always..your attention to the provision of relevant detail in the natural habitat of these fish is extremely useful..for myself the knowledge that these tetras are almost always found over a complex and multilayered substrate is particularly relevant to how I design the ideal aquarium home to provide the closest to ideal environment for these tetras health,comfort and welfare ...so I think we should all be thanking you for your efforts as this can only be a good move towards improving our hobby and improving our knowledge about these fascinating creatures

[@belowwater]

thank you!

[@Marinology]

Appreciate your hard work and research dear, keep it up

[@belowwater]

thank you!

[@PsychoPlantLady]

Amazing video!

[@brianscott4444]

Awesome as always, Oliver!

[@belowwater]

thank you

[@denyayong6834]

Sangat menikmati videonya yang sangat bagus 😊

[@belowwater]

Terima kasih

[@MissMetaverse_]

Great movie ! Thank You !

[@goalking7778]

thats actually so interesting that they are sustainably caught. makes me happy to know that that is the case

[@nulifier47]

Great video

[@mingbritson]

Awesome!

[@glennhutchins967]

Absolutely stunning

[@davidlu1003]

I want them all.😁😁😁

[@chrisbrowning360]

Excellent video!

[@belowwater]

Thank you very much!

[@bryanmoyna9715]

Thanks a lot! Wait what? from the 90s?! G'damn that was a sweet, sweet camera!

[@belowwater]

yes, there was a huge jump going to mini DV tape at the time, the same way the image quality improved now that we can get 4K quality out of a tiny phone sensor. Digitized this looks ok, in a youtube window.... but on a big screen there is no comparing it. Glad those analog miniDV days are past us!

[@bryanmoyna9715]

@@belowwater Cant imagine the relief they felt once everything became pocket size.

[@allantaylor606]

I love neons :)

[@apontutul]

Ain't they beautiful. Love the sheen on their skin

[@Cgraseck]

Wonderful video! I've always wanted to spawn these guys. I think I'll try again as soon as I get my quarantine tank up and running. Cheers, Chris

[@Einhander49]

I always assumed these little fish were artificially altered to have this color. It's cool to know it's all natural.

[@belowwater]

yes, 3 species, absolutely natural, and Asian Sundadanio spp. have nearly the same colour!

[@boebender]

Wow!!❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@rr7firefly]

For a calming experience, watch this beautiful video at .75 playback speed, with the sound muted. It's wonderful.

[@Spacenow869]

Many years ago I've red article by Japanese author who said that he observed pair of cardinals guarding babies in nature. It was quite detail article from his natural observation. I never hers it anywhere again.

[@hutchklutch2594]

That footage looks awfully good for the 90's

[@belowwater]

on KZbin it is ok. but modern 4K cameras are so much better.

[@anask7668]

Beautiful photage I hope this place is not destroyed by now and is still in such conditions

[@belowwater]

the gold miners are in that region, but there are lots of streams like that

[@ImperialAgent-us3kn]

A lot of people would keep these fish on high temperature tank but in the wild the temperature are not stable specially at night time l, and still they can thrive and survive at wide range of ph and temperature.

[@zekethefishgeek8690]

Thanks again, pal... Black Arowana in the wild next PLEASE...

[@viralvideosphtv1897]

Wow

[@bosskaloi]

WOOOOOW!

[@markrobertbb]

1:01 that's a seemingly innocuous statement but it points to an important insight: efficiency should not be the ultimate goal in the way we structure society, especially the economy. EF Schumacher in Small is Beautiful makes a compelling case for deliberately developing technology toward medium-scale application even if they are less efficient than large-scale ones.

[@kipcianmelgar1622]

For a very long time I always wondered why Neon Tetras are so popular. After I watched this video, now I realized that these kind of fish really are facinating in the wild.. It stands out while in the muddy waters.. They seem like an altered type of fish like glowfish but they are not.. all natural..

[@belowwater]

this red and blue design certainly works. If you look at Asian Rasbora axelrodi, and African Congopanchax brichardi you see the same basic colours!

[@ansgrav]

very nice :)

[@ejdoc1]

Came for the fishes and received a lecture

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

Are temperatures of 76 the lowest Cardinals are found? Any surprising cold water populations of other aquarium fish that we would think need heaters? I asked because I haven't run heaters and my home heat is set at 72 and with occasional power outages my mixed Tropicals have gone as low as 65 for a couple of days with no harm done yet except for angel fish so I don't keep those anymore. My local expert fish shop said he had to keep heaters in all of his Tetra tanks despite the store temperature being 77, didn't want to argue because why?

[@belowwater]

Yes, most species found in Argentina/Uruguay/South of Brazil can handle cooler temperatures. The serpae tetra (H.eques) can certainly go below 60F.

[@vanram8310]

God: " check my planted tank !"

[@BigMikeD10001]

wow

[@luisgatjens5124]

Does the tetra specie hemigrammus rubrostriastus live in the Orinoco river? I want to know because I am setting up and I want to add that fish in biotope tank

[@belowwater]

yes, there are actually some in this habitat, just not in the video.

[@g64460]

What kind of camera did you use back then ? The quality of these videos are insane .

[@belowwater]

Canon camera using magnetic tape, they look good in small screens, but nothing like today in 4K quality. The tapes were transferred using screen recording.

[@businessraptor134]

Id like to see footage of the same spot to see the chages in the area after a few years.

[@belowwater]

All these places are quite dynamic, it is in the lowland of the Orinoco, so likely it will change a lot even from one month to another, and not look the same each year. Maybe in the future we will try to make a high water season video with some cardinals.

[@businessraptor134]

@@belowwater I was thinking like a time-lapse over a longer period of time.

[@FishRfun]

Just ordered 30 cardinals...good to know about the income provided by the local people that's being provided. Plus, I think they just are more vibrantly colored, and I've heard they're more hardy than neons

[@belowwater]

I prefer cardinals also, and green neons (P.simulans) over regular neons (P.innesi)

[@FishRfun]

@@belowwater yes!!! Green neons over regular neons. They're more hardy and school tighter

[@factsoverfeelings1776]

I believe the Goldfish is more popular than the Neon Tetra.

[@1816pinaki]

Astonishing

[@belowwater]

thank you

[@1816pinaki]

Can u plz list the plants which u see ( scientific name ) ? I will try to mimic this env in my tank

[@suryoardi7109]

Man, its beautiful, but sometimes i feel so sorry with some of them take by human and trapped in small aquarium. I hope their local and local Goverment aware about this little friend ecosystem.

[@belowwater]

Dozens of streams like this get erased by the illegal and legal gold miners every year, i think that is a bigger problem. Nearly every fund people are invested in uses gold futures, energy futures etc. The footprint of fish keepers not only pales in comparison, but sustainably collected fish actually help protect habitats from those other threats.

[@steffanjansenvanvuuren3257]

Show me a school of Paracheirodon Innesi in the wild and I will be impressed... is that possible???

[@belowwater]

yes, it is in one of the videos I made in the past, at least a short clip. Most neons are not in clear enough water.

[@steffanjansenvanvuuren3257]

@@belowwater Is it on your channel?

[@belowwater]

@steffanjansenvanvuuren3257 yes, i thin _k we put_ some short clips of _P.innesi_ in the rummynose video. The habitats in Peru are usually not clear enough. This is one of the lagoons in the Llanos lowland, typically you see ramirezi in these places with various tetras, kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2qlXmWJbstoZ6s

[@steffanjansenvanvuuren3257]

@@belowwater paracheirodon simulans... but still beautifull

[@NangiNungi]

I have tetra in my house

[@RemoteSynergy]

I don’t always agree with buying wild-caught fish. One example are African cichlids, the ones raised in local water will die if you have a tank that matches the conditions of the lake they originally come from

[@paulstingray]

What’s the pH and GH like in the wet season?

[@belowwater]

likely quite similar, in some places it is actually lower pH, because of the leaf litter flushed from the forest into the system. the upland here is just granite boulders and silica sand, there is not much minerals to flush into the system.

[@konliner9286]

Notice how they prefer to be under a shade.

[@belowwater]

yes, in twilight, harder for predators (leaf fish, Acoronia etc) to see

[@jennifermarieherron8089]

There. Everywhere, man.

[@whatsthekeytothekeykat]

Long ago.... in the 1990's

[@mchltt5870]

1080p from 1990’s? Wow.

[@belowwater]

upscaled by youtube i think, because miniDV tapes are 720p, it shows if the video is on a larger screen

[@mchltt5870]

@@belowwater Oh yes it must be youtube. The video quality is just so good and clear it’s beautiful. The video is very informative as well! Love the video👍👍👍

[@belowwater]

@@mchltt5870 thank you, we digitize from miniDV to a screen recording on Black Magic, it looks decent considering how old the tapes are!

[@NangiNungi]

neon

[@theamazing10yearold65]

Cardinal tetras easy to catch?

[@belowwater]

yes, local people have developed a long net, that looks like an extended tennis racket, but bigger. They are going to the same rivers in the same region for 50 years, so many families and communities rely on the cardinal tetra as their income.

[@hugo7272]

What kind of Apistogramma is in the video?

[@belowwater]

it's really hard to say, without catching them. There should be A.minima, A.flabellicauda, A.verlifera, A.megaoptera, A.piaroa etc. There are many similar species in the whole middle Orinoco, if i have to guess the fish in the video is a A.minima or A.flabellicauda.

[@rtruth550]

Extremely hard to breed.

[@ehooton1233]

Weren’t these neon fish made in a lab?

[@gillianmiller9710]

he advocates buying "wild caught" cardinal tetras. My question is how to do so.

[@belowwater]

pretty much all cardinals and rummynose on the market are wild caught. There are other tetras that are easy to breed - like serpae tetras, or black neons - they are almost always tank raised in Florida or SouthEast Asia.

[@subhajitsadhukhan8521]

Cardinals in the brighest color in their own home.......

[@fletchqc9900]

Do cardinal tetras do well in nature? Are they easy to find or are they vulnerable to extinction?

[@belowwater]

they are widespread across 3 countries, and the only income for hundreds of fishermen that have not many alternatives. There are many studies that show they are a sustainable resource.

[@fletchqc9900]

@@belowwater so in a fish tier list they would be on top? Would you say they are better adapted to survive as a species than most? Are they average as a species or absolutely overpowered like carp who can survive nuclear apocalypse and destroy ecosystems? Amazing video btw

[@belowwater]

@@fletchqc9900 anything with a wide distribution is likely to survive. There are plenty of tetras that are really endangered, cardinals are certainly not.

[@dariusmocan4157]

Hallo ..i buy tetra cardinal neon red end dont have red color down ..the saller told me it yuang end red color apaers when it mature . ..it true ???? Sorry for my bad engles 🙄🙄

[@belowwater]

yes, just wait, the colour should come!

[@aronhansen5756]

hi good info.how to buy ? i live in denmark (upper europa/scandinavia)

[@belowwater]

email me from belowwater.com I will find you a place in the EU

[@OregonOutdoorsChris]

Are those Axelrodia stigmatias in there too?

[@belowwater]

yes, and somewhere there is a few Curimatopsis, Cyphocharax, and Crenuchus spilurus - the video is much longer

[@twasbrillig33]

filmed in the 1990s....which means it's probably destroyed by now

[@richardwebb9532]

Check out Project Piaba. Conservation of natural resources in South America.

[@luiscarloscastellan]

Where can we get the book?

[@belowwater]

email me from belowwater.com - depends where you are located.

[@luiscarloscastellan]

@@belowwater Done. I’m located in Colombia but I can buy inside USA.

[@BiotopeAquariumTV]

Oliver, please tell me the name of the stream where this video was taken. In which country is it made?

[@belowwater]

no name, it was near the Sipapo in Venezuela. Not sure what is left standing in that region now that the gold miners are in all those small streams. But any of them look like that. I have footage from four different ones and they all look identical

[@СветочДхармы]

@@belowwater This unnamed stream flows into the Sipapo River, right!?

[@belowwater]

@@СветочДхармы no, but those all look the same in that region.

[@СветочДхармы]

@@belowwater And what river does this stream flow into?

[@optionmaster221]

and then they get caught and wake up in a small tank with the "clown vomit" substrate, overheated with strong lights and the SpongeBob SquarePant decoration in the middle and that becomes their world.. so sad

[@patrickbouvier822]

Version français.

[@1987jason1337]

Do you know any legit sellers that sell wild caught

[@belowwater]

not sure what country you are in, but in North America pretty much all cardinals are wild caught.

[@YOYO-ew8mp]

Never steak from the wild. How unfair to the fush

[@Majorbrownfinger]

German and Japanese? Is this guy trying to put the axis powers together via fish keeping. I don’t think so, not on my watch! I’m keeping an eye on you bud.

[@YOYO-ew8mp]

Guppy in the wil?d

[@mohamadasmawi6357]

Can we mix cardinal tetra,green neon tetra and black tetra in 1 tank/aquarium..

[@belowwater]

yes, no problem at all

[@blue1771]

my ass 1990s that quality is not available those days

[@springdart5254]

Rummy noses

[@someguy4844]

Do not support buying wild fish just because locals want income. That's dumb. Take better care of these habitats.