Searpe Or Red Phantom Tetra?

[jacko9901]

hi

i am soon to get a 240 litre tank and was planning on making it into a south american themed community tank.

i have decided to get a few different types of tetras to make a array of colours in the tank. so for the red colour i have decided to get either searpe or red phantom tetra. i have heard that searpe tetras are fin nippers so which one should i get?

 

[tyyrlym]

Serpaes, gorgeous fish. Just keep them in a large group, 6+.

 

[jacko9901]

Serpaes, gorgeous fish. Just keep them in a large group, 6+.

i am going to get some angels as a centrepiece. i thought the searpe's would nip at their fins. would a group of 6+ stop this like then you get tiger barbs.

 

[Lateral Line]

A large group of Serpæ is less trouble then a small group, but they are aggressive little sods and I would not keep them with anything slow moving and "finny". I agree, they are a good looking fish, but I would never keep them in a general easy going community again.

 

[HODDY]

i got 5-6 serpeas for a 3ft 180 ltr tank and they ripped the living $&*#% out of all my fish. So they went back,I would go for the pahtoms tbh! the white phantoms and blacks look amazing!!
Oh and you have to get congo tetras! when they are fully grown they are the most beautiful fish out there!
Ben.

 

[cowbla1]

I think you would be fine with 6+ serpaes.

 

[oakes]

A couple of other options worth considering are flame tetras and rosy tetras.

 

[Biulu]

I never had problems with my serpae tetras, keeping them together with gouramis. But if you have a larger tank, I would go for congos. These are really my favourite tetras!

 

[foley69]

id get serpea tetra only aggressive in small groups i have 5 and they are fine

 

[jimmyringo]

I have three Serpaes.Lovely fish and no problem in my tank the last couple of years.

 

[Caaristiona]

Same with me here, I've kept 6 Serpae tetras together with a Betta with no problems - they chase and nip between themselves, not with the other fish. Of course, it helps that my betta is a major bully...

 

[Elrohirthehasty]

which are more colorful then....serpaes, rosys, or red phantoms?

 

[Colin_T]

serpae tetras should never be kept with angelfish. red phantom, flame or rosy tetras are suitable.
serpaes have better red colouration than the other species but flames are nice, especially for a small tank, rosy and red phantom have different colours again. You need to look them up in a book and compare the colour. Female red phantoms are not as colourful as males.

rosy tetra - Hyphessobrycon bentosi or H. copelandi
serpae - Hyphessobrycon callistus
flame - Hyphessobrycon flammeus
roberts - Hyphessobrycon robertsi
red phantom - Megalamphodus sweglesi

 

[grasshopper_green]

serpae are notorious fin-nippers; red phantom and extremely peaceful, and they look almost exactly the same.

 

[grasshopper_green]

.