Serpae Acting Wierd

[NonstickRon]

So my work tank (6.75 gal bowfront) is fully cycled now (yay!) and it has 3 albino corys and 4 serpae tetra. The serpae pick on the corys a little bit, the smallest one especially is missing about 1/3rd of his dorsal fin at this point. I've two adults and one juvinile. I'm already over stocked, I'm aware of that. Which is why the usual remedy for aggressive Serpae, adding more to the school, is something I'm very hesitant to do. This is the bioload that I cycled the tank with (3 weeks - used Tetra Safestart to jumpstart and then Prime to detoxify till ammonia and nitrite hit 0).

Aside from the usuall undersized shoal aggression behavior, my serpae have developed some other oddities. For one they stay near the bottom of the tank, never usually going higher than midway in the tank when the light is on. I'm attributing that to not having any tank deco that goes higher than that level right now. There is plenty of low to mid level cover at this point, between a plastic hollow log, fake plants attatched to that, and a peice of real drift wood. I'm thinking of adding a plant or two. Also, each serpae has staked out a 'territory' in the tank. One in each corner. They seldom school. Thats what I find to be the oddest thing about the way they behave.

Do you think adding more plants that go all the way to the top will help? Do you think adding another serpae or two will help? Or will that just add more bullies?

I'm about ready to throw in the towel on the Serpae tetra. I love how much personality they have, so I'd rather not...but I really don't like to see them bullying fish that aren't interested in fighting back.

Edit: Interestingly enough, I never SEE them going for the corys, seems to happen when I'm not here. Light in the tank is only on when I'm here.

 

[waterdrop]

Ron, I'd guess you've got two things going against you. The main one is that Serpae are just about the most famous "fin nippers" around. Its just what they love to do. I've experienced it myself and also you know you're in trouble when just about every write-up about a species mentions it. The second thing is that my feeling is that Serpae are just a bit more of a bigger-tank fish is my feeling. They are probably just exhibiting "cramped in" behaviours.

My guess is that during their evolution in Amazon streams, they evolved to expect large shoals in pretty densly planted wider areas of the jungle streams, so they are probably exhibiting normal "scared" behaviour, thinking, since there are only 4 and no plants, that they have been somehow cut off from the "family" and surely are about to die ( making a bit of a story here..)

It could be that moving the albino corries out and adding plants would be the perfect solution.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[NonstickRon]

Thanks watertrop, I think I'd rather keep the corys and ditch the Serpae though. A tank without corys is no tank at all in my opinion.

I bought the Serpae as my hardy cycle fish. Thats done now so maybe its time I moved them out.

 

[NonstickRon]

Got some hornwort on my lunch break, gonna give it a go and see what happens.

Edit: Didn't look very good all bunched up to one side or the other so I took off the lead band holding the bunch together and now its jsut floating sorta. I think the Serpae like it, they were just chasing each other through it. We'll see....

I think all this floating foliage is going to make feeding a PITA though.