Serpae tetra care
Hyphessobrycon eques · Amazon, Guaporé and Paraguay basins
Serpae tetras are blood-red with a black shoulder spot and black dorsal fin, and they are livelier than most tetras.
- Tank size
- 20 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 79 °F (22 to 26 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Adult size
- 1.6 in
- pH
- 5.5 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 5 to 7 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 20 gallon long
30¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep serpae tetras
Serpae tetras are blood-red with a black shoulder spot and black dorsal fin, and they are livelier than most tetras. Keep eight or more in a 20 gallon or larger tank so they chase each other instead of their tankmates.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, micro pellets, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Serpae tetra tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Cherry shrimp
1.6 in · 5+ gal · 65–82 °F
Sparkling gourami
1.6 in · 10+ gal · 76–82 °F
Pitbull pleco
1.6 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
DrawingAsian stone catfish
1.6 in · 10+ gal · 64–75 °F
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid
1.7 in · 20+ gal · 75–84 °F
Marbled hatchetfish
1.5 in · 20+ gal · 75–82 °F
Medaka
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 65–82 °F
Umbrella dwarf cichlid
1.5 in · 15+ gal · 70–79 °F
Keep apart
Guppy: Serpae tetras nip long fins like those of guppies.
Betta: Serpae tetras nip long fins like those of bettas.
Angelfish: Serpae tetras nip long fins like those of angelfish.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: Serpae tetras nip long fins like those of fancy goldfish.
African dwarf frog: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by serpae tetras.
What a serpae tetra tank needs
A tank of 20 US gallons or more (such as the 20 gallon long) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 10
Rated by the maker for up to 20 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon serpae tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon serpae tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
Serpae tetras need 72 to 79 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding serpae tetras.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 79 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 20 gallon tank · Heaters for a 20 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common serpae tetra problems
- Fin nipping in small groups; keep them away from bettas, angelfish and long-finned guppies.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Hyphessobrycon eques. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Serpae tetra Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sparkling gourami BEDO (Thailand), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pitbull pleco Haplochromis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Agassiz's dwarf cichlid Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Marbled hatchetfish Sven Kullander, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Medaka Seotaro, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Umbrella dwarf cichlid Gordon Axmann, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Guppy Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African dwarf frog Stuart Halliday, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green neon tetra Sascha Biedermann, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
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