Serpae tetras

[Tyler777]

When my 125 gallons tank finally finish cycling should I get more serpae tetras for the tank? I have 2 that will go into that tank along with the mollies, platties, dwarf gourami, swordtails n corys.
I've read they're fin snippers that's why I'm asking if I add another 4 to make a little school would b OK or I should avoid getting more ?

 

[Colin_T]

You need at least 10 Serpae tetras to stop them biting fins.

Serpae tetras come from soft acid water. Common Livebearers (swordtails, mollies, platies, guppies) come from harder water with a pH above 7.0. It's preferable not to mix the 2 groups of fish because they require different water chemistry (pH, GH, KH).

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website (Water Analysis Report) or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.

Angelfish, discus, most tetras, most barbs, Bettas, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm) and a pH below 7.0.

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm and a pH above 7.0.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids, or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.

 

[Tyler777]

You need at least 10 Serpae tetras to stop them biting fins.

Serpae tetras come from soft acid water. Common Livebearers (swordtails, mollies, platies, guppies) come from harder water with a pH above 7.0. It's preferable not to mix the 2 groups of fish because they require different water chemistry (pH, GH, KH).

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website (Water Analysis Report) or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.

Angelfish, discus, most tetras, most barbs, Bettas, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm) and a pH below 7.0.

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm and a pH above 7.0.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids, or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.

I've been having 2 serpae tetras with mollies, swordtails n platties for months in my first tank and they're doing great, they grew up quiet a bit n no fighting

 

[GaryE]

serpae are territorial, and may nip. They like larger groups and should not be with long finned fish, but I have never found them too nippy. I've also kept fish like that in groups of 6 to 10 ten though. Any social fish kept in 2s and 3s can become trouble.