Tankmates For Serpaes...

[catxx]

do any of you guys have a suggestion for a tankmate/s for 8 (well it will be 8, currently only 5) very very nippy serpae tetras in a 15 us gallon tank? is there anything that can put up with the extensive nippyness of these guys? they have the tank to themselves at the moment (were in a 20 usg with neons, but they nipped the neons fins off!).

anything? or shall they stay serpae-only?

and while we're there, is there anything that could go in the 20usg, not shoaling, single fish, with 8 neon tetras and 6 chain loaches?

 

[Iron Man]

Danios (not the long finned, not sure on those), gouramis, loaches, cories (maybe), barbs, killies, oto's, plecos, and black phantom tetras that's all i know at the moment.

With the neons and kuhli's you could put any kind of non agressive fish like a single livebearer or a gourami or maybe a betta?

 

[nmonks]

The best fish to keep with serpae tetras are, to be honest, more serpae tetras. They look increasingly attractive in large groups. Shrimps should do well with them, too. Serpae tetras (and their close relatives in the genus Hyphessobrycon) feed on the scales and fins of other fish, and should really be thought of as miniature piranhas rather than community fish.

But a 15 US-gallon tank is really too small for this species, so I wouldn't recommend adding anything else.

In the 20-gallon tank, there's a variety of fish you could keep. Neons get along well with other small tetras as well as small rasboras, so think about glowlights, harlequins, lemon tetras, etc. I find danios a bit too boisterous for use with neons. Kuhli loaches would be a possibility, but I'd be worried that your chain loaches might compete with them over food, so be careful. Hatchetfish are superb companions for neons, but they are delicate and need excellent water quality to do well. Any of the smaller Colisa spp. gouramis would be an option, though not the dwarf gourami because it is simply too sickly to recommend. But Colisa labiosus or Colisa fasciata would be fine.

Cheers, Neale

 

[catxx]

thanks, i agree that the 15g should probably just stay serpae only, they're definately piranha-like when they feed!

i have thought gourami for the other tank, and yes, i'd never get dwarf gouramis.

 

[2polypterus2]

How about a small single cichlid in the 15? there are so many dif ones i'm sure you can find some that would work

 

[nmonks]

There are lots of dwarf cichlids you could keep in a 15 gallon, but not with serpae tetras.

Cheers, Neale

How about a small single cichlid in the 15? there are so many dif ones i'm sure you can find some that would work

 

[connorsbala]

Id say most fish small enough ie other serpaes, gouramies etc that DONT HAVE LONG FLOWING FINS ie guppies etc