Tetras · Hyphessobrycon
Serpae tetra
Hyphessobrycon eques · Amazon and Paraguay basins
Photo: Douglas Lopes, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Water temperature
22–28 °C 72–82 °F
pH
5.5–7.5 neutral water
Adult size
4.5 cm 1.8 in
Swims
Mid-water mostly in open water
Keep together
6 or more a shoal feels safe
Current
Calm still or slow water
Food
Eats most foods
Temperament
Semi-aggressive
≈ Every value here is an estimate from typical hobby ranges. We're checking them against sources.
Where it comes from
Home water
Amazon and Paraguay basins
Amazonas
Lives in river habitat.
The dot is placed on its home rivers, not an exact collecting site. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with low flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Good together
-
Candy stripe L015
Plecos · 10 cm · bottom -
Leopard frog L134
Plecos · 11 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Rainbowfish · 10 cm · mid-water -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Butterfly hillstream loach
Loaches · 8 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Have long fins that get nipped and will eat the serpae tetra
-
Have long fins that get nipped
-
Aggressive and will eat the serpae tetra
-
Want fast, strong current
In the hobby
In stock now
Not in stock at any store we track.
Tanks with this fish
No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.
From keepers
Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.
Questions keepers ask
How big does a Serpae tetra get?
About 4.5 cm (1.8 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Serpae tetra need?
22–28 °C (72–82 °F).
What pH does a Serpae tetra need?
pH 5.5–7.5.
Does a Serpae tetra need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 6.
Is the Serpae tetra aggressive?
It can be. It is semi-aggressive, so choose tank mates carefully.
What does a Serpae tetra eat?
It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.
Where does the Serpae tetra come from?
Amazon and Paraguay basins.
What fish can live with a Serpae tetra?
Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Leopard frog (L134), Amano shrimp, Boeseman's rainbowfish, Bolivian ram.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 22 | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 28 | Estimate |
| pH min | 5.5 | Estimate |
| pH max | 7.5 | Estimate |
| Adult size (cm) | 4.5 | Estimate |
| Flow | Low | Estimate |
| Habitat | river | Estimate |
| Smallest happy group | 6 | Estimate |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Estimate |
| Diet | Omnivore | Estimate |
| Behaviour tags | fin_nipper | Estimate |
| Typical price min (CAD) | 3 | Estimate |
| Typical price max (CAD) | 5 | Estimate |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.
