Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques)
Native Location: Brazil and Paraguay
Climate: Tropical
Maximum Size: 4.5cm (1.75 inches)
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Easy
Temperature Range: 22 – 26℃ (72 – 79℉)
Preferred pH Range: 5 – 7.8
Minimum Aquarium Size: 75L(20 gallons)
Potential Tankmates: Tetras, Barbs, and Danios
Care Level: Easy
Watch these Serpae Tetras create a beautiful underwater flame in your aquarium. They are popular red schooling fish.
Serpaes will need a varied diet of small live foods, flake/pellet, and frozen foods. A good diet will bring out their brilliant colours. For live foods, try insects, invertebrates, and worms. Serpaes are schooling fish and will need to be kept in groups of at least six but preferably as many as you can comfortably house in your tank. In smaller groups, they can develop fin nipping tendencies and become aggressive, especially during feeding times. They also make ideal tank mates for any other fish of a similar size and temperament. Species with longer fins or that are smaller in size will not make good tankmates.
Serpaes will spend most of their time exploring your tank. They are fast-moving, their swimming patterns are not as elegant as you may be imagining, they are much more entertaining to watch. Serpaes will swim together in a jerky rhythm, in short bursts before resting and then hurrying off again. Being a part of a larger group will make you Serpaes more confident and spend less time hiding to feel safe. Use a darker substrate for these fish. Not only will their colours show more brilliantly, but because it mimics their natural habitat. And, heavily plant with live vegetation so Serpaes have
good shelter. A plant like Java Moss is a good choice. They provide coverage while still letting fish move through their leaves. Cluster your plants towards the edges of your tank and leave the middle more open for free swimming. Driftwood and rock formations are also good decorations.
The best chance you have to tell Serpaes apart is during their spawning season. Males are brighter coloured and slimmer in the body, and their dorsal fin will also be black. Females dorsal fins are paler, and their bodies are fuller even when not spawning. To breed is easy with a separate tank and decorate it similar to your original aquarium. You will also need to keep the waters warmer to trigger the breeding process. Either have it heavily planted or use breeding mops. As Serpaes are an egg scattering species, their eggs will need something to stick to. Adults also have no paternal instincts and will need to be removed from the tank once spawning has occurred.
