Blind cave tetra care
Astyanax mexicanus · Caves of San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas, Mexico (the eyed river form lives in Texas and Mexico)
Blind cave tetras are the cave form of the Mexican tetra: pink-white, without eyes, finding food by smell and by the pressure sense along their sides.
- Tank size
- 29 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 68 to 77 °F (20 to 25 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Adult size
- 4.7 in
- pH
- 6.5 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 30 dGH
- Lifespan
- 10 to 15 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 29 gallon
30¼ × 12½ × 18¾ in outsideHow to keep blind cave tetras
Blind cave tetras are the cave form of the Mexican tetra: pink-white, without eyes, finding food by smell and by the pressure sense along their sides. Keep six or more in a 29 gallon or larger tank at 68 to 77 °F; they need no special lighting and get along with sturdy fish of their own size.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, pellets, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Blind cave tetra tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Petricola catfish
4.5 in · 30+ gal · 73–79 °F
Amazon puffer
5 in · 29+ gal · 74–82 °F
African butterflyfish
5 in · 30+ gal · 73–86 °F
Red lizard whiptail catfish
5 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
Zebra loach
4 in · 29+ gal · 73–79 °F
Golden wonder killifish
4 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
Bubble eye goldfish
4 in · 30+ gal · 65–74 °F
Banded gourami
4 in · 30+ gal · 72–82 °F
Keep apart
Discus: No shared temperature: blind cave tetras need 68 to 77 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
German blue ram: No shared temperature: blind cave tetras need 68 to 77 °F, German blue rams 78 to 85 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
African dwarf frog: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by blind cave tetras.
Zebra pleco: No shared temperature: blind cave tetras need 68 to 77 °F, zebra plecos 79 to 86 °F.
Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlids belong with other Lake Malawi cichlids, not with blind cave tetras.
What a blind cave tetra tank needs
A tank of 29 US gallons or more (such as the 29 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon blind cave tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon blind cave tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro 100W
Blind cave tetras need 68 to 77 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding blind cave tetras.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 68 to 77 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 29 gallon tank · Heaters for a 29 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common blind cave tetra problems
- They turn semi-aggressive as they age and may chase smaller, slower fish.
- Sharp decor can scrape them; use smooth rocks and leave open swimming room.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Astyanax mexicanus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Blind cave tetra James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Petricola catfish Nerezza, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amazon puffer O. Schneider, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African butterflyfish Toniher, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red lizard whiptail catfish Ckf6412, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra loach Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Golden wonder killifish Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bubble eye goldfish Angie Torres from Toronto, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Banded gourami Sandipan Das, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African dwarf frog Stuart Halliday, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra pleco Peaceinpianos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Demasoni cichlid lee Nachtigal, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green neon tetra Sascha Biedermann, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
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