Their story
Every animal at Get To Know Animals is a rescue. Donna and Rob, the founders, give animals a second chance — there are no breeding programmes here.
Behind every smile is a story. Animals like Cardinal Tetra often arrive because a home changed, a rescue needed space, or someone realised wild beauty deserves expert care. We promise warmth, the right food, enrichment and keepers who know each personality. When a child presses their nose to the glass and whispers ‘hello’, that second chance becomes a lifelong memory — for them and for Cardinal Tetra.
The cardinal tetra is a wonderful kind of freshwater fish of the family Acestrorhamphidae, the American characins, of order Characiformes. It is native to the upper Orinoco and Negro Rivers in South America. Growing to about 3 cm (1.2 in) in total length, the cardinal tetra has the striking iridescent blue line characteristic of the genus Paracheirodon laterally bisecting the fish, with the body below this line being vivid red in color, hence the name "cardinal tetra". Adults often remember: Species of fish. At Get To Know Animals we turn those wild facts into daily care — the right heat, humidity, UV where needed, climbing or digging space, and food that matches what Cardinal Tetras evolved to eat.
It costs over £35,000 every month to feed, heat and care for 300+ animals. Filters, heaters, water treatments, live plants and precise diets keep aquatic rooms alive 24/7 — quiet weeks at the till still mean full electricity and food costs. Adopting Cardinal Tetra, sponsoring a meal, funding the wish list or joining Patreon isn’t ‘extra’ — it’s how Cardinal Tetra eats next Tuesday when the weather is quiet and the till is slow.
You can help today: adopt Cardinal Tetra, buy a treat, play Get To Feed Animals, or become a monthly patron. Every pound is love you can measure in full bowls, warm lamps and wagging (or flicking) tails.