How to be successful with Serpae Tetras

[whitezb]

I am new here, but was reading a lot of posts about Serpae Tetra negatives and warnings, and wanted to share my experience and provide a different view. That they are a * community tank fish. There is the asterisk.

First, I learned the hard way. In a 29 gal planted tank, I dropped 6 Serpaes in with Corys and Neons. Very quickly I had a tank with 6 Serpaes. Although they are easy fish to care for; because of their personality, they are not what I would call beginner fish, in spite of most sites calling them such.

After learning the hard way, I decided to research them and tankmates. Serpae Tetras are wonderful fish. Playful and full of energy. They live 5+ years. I highly recommend them. They are a centerpiece fish. And this is the emphasis. You need to build your tank around them. You start with them, and add complimentary fish. This is how you build a community tank with (around) them. Any fish you mix should be able to maintain a similar level of activity and energy, or be able to stand its own ground.

I adapted my 29 gallon, adding Pygmy Corys (they are one of the higher energy corys), Amano and Cherry Shrimp, Oto Cats, and a Kuhli Loach (and a crew of snails). I have heard that Gouramis can mix well with Serpaes. Similar types of Tetras are good too, as are Danios (especially Zebras). If you have enough hiding places and plant growth, a rainbow shark will work. While your options are smaller for tankmates, these are all great species.


I am planning on standing up a 55 Gallon planted tank, and will keep the Serpaes as the centerpiece. I'll be able to upgrade to a 12 or so fish school. I'll go with similar schools of Zebra Danios, Pygmy Corys, and (once well enough established) the Otos. The Kuhli loach is working well too. Round out the crew with the Amano and Cherry Shrimp, and Snails. This will give me a generally very active, healthy, and lively tank setup.

 

[anewbie]

I don't think there was an issue with neon/cory/serpae as the serpae won't bother the cory/neon - i suppose in some situations the neon might be stressed by the serpae activity but i doubt it as my cardinals always just ignored them since they weren't predatory in nature. Cory generally ignore tetra regardless of their activity - though i suppose the serpae might make pygmy nervous but pygmy are unique species of cory with regards to behavior and level of timidness. I suspect the issue you had between neon/cory was unrelated to the serpae.

 

[whitezb]

My Pygmy cory have no problem with the serpae. Do quite well. With the full size Cory and neons, I suspect they were stressed. I have red other sources about this as well, that neons are not great tankmates.

 

[Colin_T]

I wouldn't keep pygmy Corydoras with serpae tetras due to the Cories swimming in more open water than the bigger species of Corydoras. The other issue being the size of the pygmy cories, they will be easier to pick on and the serpaes could eat one quite quickly if they decide to go for them.

If you keep danios with the serpae tetras, get short fin danios. No long fin fish should be kept with serpae tetras, which are renown fin nippers.

I would go for 18-20 serpaes. The bigger the group, the less agro from them.

 

[whitezb]

I’ll see how the numbers work. Interesting on the pygmies. I haven’t had problem with them. I attributed to them being more active, and faster. I found the Serpae going into all nooks and crannies, hence the problem with the bigger Cory. They really don’t leave any corner unexplored. I’ll have to keep an eye on that.

I totally agree on the Danio. I’ve never really cared for the long fin anyways. Zebras are fun. I’ll be interested to see how a few more Kuhli Loach work. So hat 1 in my 29 gal has worked well. They do a good job not being pushed around by the Serpae. And eats the darn trumpets.

 

[Byron]

@Colin_T is bang on. There are some issues that must be acknowledged and provided with this fish (Hyphessobrycon eques) and some have been mentioned but others are only asking for trouble. The group has to be large. The basic size of most specvies of characin is 10+, but with this feisty by nature and fin nipper by nature fish increasing this to minimum 15 is recommended by reliable sources. In this large a tank I would double this or more, as a group of 30-40 Serpae will indeed be a stunning centrepiece. A 29g tank with 15-20 Serpae and no other upper fish is minimum.

As for the cories, please do not add pygmies here, this is just not fair. Larger cories should be able to hold their own--and all cories will naturally swim up to the surface to browse surfaces like plant leaves (not thinking of the surface breech here), and this can annoy some fish.

Never house any slow, sedate or long fin fish with known fin nippers, that is just waving a red flag in front of a bull. Gourami are not compatible with Serpae, whoever may have foolishly suggested it (mot of the nutters on Youtube are highly unreliable to say the least). Here again this is inhumane to the gourami and similar fish. They need calm around them, not super-active feisty fish.

 

[whitezb]

I appreciate the feedback. And positive talk about oft-maligned Serpae Tetras. I’m curious to hear other opinions of success that they have had with other species.

I do still find the talk about mismatch with Pygmy Cory interesting as mine have gotten along well. I have not seen any bullying or other negative interaction. Curious if that is from first hand experience. My local fish store expert (independent store) didn’t seem surprised.

I don’t use YouTube sources for tank advice.

 

[BrianK]

I am in process of replacing tiger barbs with serpae tetras. Presently have only 5 serpaes with 7 tiger barbs. They seem very peaceful to me but maybe it's because of the tiger barbs lol. I am phasing out the tiger barbs. I've had some aggression problems with the tiger barbs although they are peaceful now (and have been for 8-9 months. I eliminated the aggressive ones.

 

[anewbie]

I have festum and angels with 16 serpae tetra; and quite frankly the serpae are scared crap with these larger cichild. I've kept serape with angels for over 4 years without any nipping so I just don't get it.

 

[Colin_T]

I have festum and angels with 16 serpae tetra; and quite frankly the serpae are scared crap with these larger cichild. I've kept serape with angels for over 4 years without any nipping so I just don't get it.

You might have gotten lucky due to having 16 tetras, but serpae tetras are renown for biting fins on other fish as well as their own kind. And they regularly go after angelfish or other slow moving fishes with long fins.

 

[anewbie]

You might have gotten lucky due to having 16 tetras, but serpae tetras are renown for biting fins on other fish as well as their own kind. And they regularly go after angelfish or other slow moving fishes with long fins.

For 2 years i only had 3 serpae - long story was buying something else and the fish store gave them to me. Again never bothered the cichild. I'm not saying it doesn't happen - i'm just saying it hasn't been an issue for me. You can see some of the serape in the picture.

 

[Byron]

When it comes to fish behaviours/traits, a couple things have to be kept in mind. First, the species is the way it is because it is genetically made that way. A rattlesnake is what it is and if disturbed it will attack and bite. A garter snake will usually scamper away, unless really cornered. They are what they are and behave the way they do because that is what defines (in part) the distinct species. Thinking we can change this because we want "x" is not sensible. So, having researched and identified how the Serpae Tetra normally lives, don't expect anything else and you will not have problems. It is the people who won't do this, and they think the fish in the tank can be altered genetically (which is what one is really asking for), but they can't.

Second thing is that not all individuals in the species behave or react exactly according to the blueprint. This occurs in all animals. There are some known reasons for this, but sometimes the individual may be less aggressive or more aggressive than what is normal for that species, and this is just a fact of life. There are however specific things that will almost always impact the inherent behaviours of a fish in the species. Having too few of a shoaling/schooling species is known to cause increased aggression in most cases, though sometimes the opposite. Being in the tank, a very confined space, with certain other species that are really not at all compatible will usually cause increased aggression or the opposite (withdrawal and lethargy). Not providing the correct parameters, primarily GH and temperature, can affect behaviour usually badly. The environment matters, if the fish has what it deems necessary for its life, it will behave more normally most of the time.

There are enough online sources with accurate information on a species such that we can have a pretty good idea of what they need and how they will live behaviour-wise. To ignore this is folly. Exceptions do not make the norm.

 

[anewbie]

When it comes to fish behaviours/traits, a couple things have to be kept in mind. First, the species is the way it is because it is genetically made that way. A rattlesnake is what it is and if disturbed it will attack and bite. A garter snake will usually scamper away, unless really cornered. They are what they are and behave the way they do because that is what defines (in part) the distinct species. Thinking we can change this because we want "x" is not sensible. So, having researched and identified how the Serpae Tetra normally lives, don't expect anything else and you will not have problems. It is the people who won't do this, and they think the fish in the tank can be altered genetically (which is what one is really asking for), but they can't.

Second thing is that not all individuals in the species behave or react exactly according to the blueprint. This occurs in all animals. There are some known reasons for this, but sometimes the individual may be less aggressive or more aggressive than what is normal for that species, and this is just a fact of life. There are however specific things that will almost always impact the inherent behaviours of a fish in the species. Having too few of a shoaling/schooling species is known to cause increased aggression in most cases, though sometimes the opposite. Being in the tank, a very confined space, with certain other species that are really not at all compatible will usually cause increased aggression or the opposite (withdrawal and lethargy). Not providing the correct parameters, primarily GH and temperature, can affect behaviour usually badly. The environment matters, if the fish has what it deems necessary for its life, it will behave more normally most of the time.

There are enough online sources with accurate information on a species such that we can have a pretty good idea of what they need and how they will live behaviour-wise. To ignore this is folly. Exceptions do not make the norm.

Generically what you said is of course true but it doesn't really explain explicitly why i've never had a problem with them - i doubt it is 'sample variation' because i've kept enough different ones over the year - and i doubt it is # since i've been down to as few as 3 for multiple years and as many as 20 - it could be environment or tank size - but a 120 is not particularly large - though it does provide some height for the tetra to hang low while the cichild are high as seen in the picture (4ftx2ftx2ft). I coudl be the planted nature - or it could be that others have forced them into arrangements that are unhealthy and caused the nipping (and therefore nipping rumours) but in a proper setting they don't nip. Not saying this is the case - just throwing it out there.

 

[Herbibore]

Kuhli loaches should be kept in groups of at least five, from my experience. I love how they would
dance together through the airstream bubbles! However, they are great jumpers, too, and somehow
most of them found their way out of my lidded tank 8'(. Now I'm down to one, who seems to keep
going, but is rarely visible.

 

[anewbie]

Kuhli loaches should be kept in groups of at least five, from my experience. I love how they would
dance together through the airstream bubbles! However, they are great jumpers, too, and somehow
most of them found their way out of my lidded tank 8'(. Now I'm down to one, who seems to keep
going, but is rarely visible.

Yea i personally try for at least 8; however one thing i've noticed in most of my aquariums is a good water change will bring them out for hours - well in 2 of my 3 aquariums with kuhli - in the 3rd they only come out at night but they spend ALL night out surfing.