Neil000009
New Member
Hi can you help please ? I have 7 serpae tetra in 250 l tank . I have noticed that two have deformed mouths, looks like part is missing . Photo attached
Any advice please ?
Any advice please ?
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Serpae tetra
- Thread starter Neil000009
- Start date
PewPewChris
Fish Fanatic
Looks like he/she has been beat up
Neil000009
New Member
About 4 months , seems to be feeding and shoaling ok
OK, so that eliminates new fish with new disease, though the fish might have carried various diseases and not shown it. Nevertheless, if does help to limit possibles.
The interaction of the fish should clue you/us in to likely aggressive behaviours. Let me explain. This is a shoaling species, as are all tetras, rasboras, danios, barbs, many catfish like cories, rainbowfishes. Shoaling or schooling means they live in very large groups. This is programmed into their genetic makeup, so the fish expect it and they must have it. Most home aquaria are not of sufficient size to house groups of hundreds, but scientific analysis has proven that the number in the smaller group does indeed matter to the fish. Ten or more is the preference for most species, though some need even more, and this one is such a species. Hyphessobrycon eques is the scientific name, I mention this because it is always better to research a fish by the scientific name to ensure it is the correct species.
Shoaling fish in smaller groups than 10 have serious issues. They are more stressed, they tend to be more aggressive, and they have a latency to feed. These are serious issues for a fish. And before we get hung up on numbers, there is no cut-off where one less is bad. A group of 10 or more will without question be better adjusted and thus healthier. This is scientifically-proven fact.
A species like the one here is naturally aggressive, much more than a species like say the neon tetra, or cardinal tetra. Species that are naturally more aggressive require even more in the group. I would say in the 15+ range. If the aquarium cannot support this many, then remove them and select another species. The tankmates also matter. When this species is in the tank, do not include any sedate fish (gourami, cichlids, and some other tetras) nor any fish with long fins. These are like waving a red flag to a charging bull.
Sometimes the larger group keeps the fish relatively peaceful, but often it merely restricts the aggression to the species itself. If you look at this fish in store tanks you will frequently see torn fins; this is normal, especially with smaller groups. For all its beauty (in good condition), this species is not a very nice community fish. The tank size also impacts this, along with numbers.
The interaction of the fish should clue you/us in to likely aggressive behaviours. Let me explain. This is a shoaling species, as are all tetras, rasboras, danios, barbs, many catfish like cories, rainbowfishes. Shoaling or schooling means they live in very large groups. This is programmed into their genetic makeup, so the fish expect it and they must have it. Most home aquaria are not of sufficient size to house groups of hundreds, but scientific analysis has proven that the number in the smaller group does indeed matter to the fish. Ten or more is the preference for most species, though some need even more, and this one is such a species. Hyphessobrycon eques is the scientific name, I mention this because it is always better to research a fish by the scientific name to ensure it is the correct species.
Shoaling fish in smaller groups than 10 have serious issues. They are more stressed, they tend to be more aggressive, and they have a latency to feed. These are serious issues for a fish. And before we get hung up on numbers, there is no cut-off where one less is bad. A group of 10 or more will without question be better adjusted and thus healthier. This is scientifically-proven fact.
A species like the one here is naturally aggressive, much more than a species like say the neon tetra, or cardinal tetra. Species that are naturally more aggressive require even more in the group. I would say in the 15+ range. If the aquarium cannot support this many, then remove them and select another species. The tankmates also matter. When this species is in the tank, do not include any sedate fish (gourami, cichlids, and some other tetras) nor any fish with long fins. These are like waving a red flag to a charging bull.
Sometimes the larger group keeps the fish relatively peaceful, but often it merely restricts the aggression to the species itself. If you look at this fish in store tanks you will frequently see torn fins; this is normal, especially with smaller groups. For all its beauty (in good condition), this species is not a very nice community fish. The tank size also impacts this, along with numbers.
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