Serpae Tetra

Hyphessobrycon eques

A blood-red tetra with a black shoulder spot. Beautiful and busy – and notorious for nipping long fins.

A semi-aggressive freshwater fish that grows to 4.5 cm, lives in the middle of the tank in groups of 6 or more and needs 22–27 °C, pH 5.5–7.5 and an aquarium of at least 80 L.

Care at a glance

Water

Freshwater

Temperature

22–27 °C (72–81 °F)

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4.5 cm (1.8 in)

Aquarium

80 L or bigger (21 US gal)

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Group size

6 or more

Swims

Middle

Diet

Omnivore

Wild home

Amazon & Paraguay basins

Good to know

• Fin nipper. Nips the fins of long-finned and slow tank mates.

Tank mates

Good company: Amano Shrimp, Bristlenose Pleco, Corydoras, Dwarf Gourami, Ghost Shrimp, Honey Gourami, Kuhli Loach, Marbled Hatchetfish, Mystery Snail, Otocinclus.

Eaten by: Asian Arowana, Axolotl, Black Ghost Knifefish, Flowerhorn, Frontosa, Jack Dempsey, Motoro Stingray, Ornate Bichir, Oscar, Siamese Tigerfish.

Attacks: Angelfish, Axolotl, Betta, Congo Tetra, Discus, Fancy Goldfish, Fancy Guppy, Frontosa.

Attacked by: Demasoni Cichlid, Flowerhorn, Jack Dempsey.

Eats the newborn fry of: Betta, Black Skirt Tetra, Bloodfin Tetra, Cardinal Tetra, Celestial Pearl Danio, Cherry Barb, Chili Rasbora, Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, Congo Tetra, Crystal Red Shrimp, Dwarf Gourami, Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish and 16 more.

Its fry are eaten by: Angelfish, Bala Shark, Betta, Black Skirt Tetra, Bloodfin Tetra, Boesemani Rainbowfish, Cherry Barb, Clown Loach, Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, Comet Goldfish, Congo Tetra, Discus and 24 more.

Grown ones eat their own newborn fry, so raise the young in another aquarium.

Colours and breeding

• Classic common

In Aquarius a grown male and female breed in a healthy tank. Their young are born about 0.3 cm long and take after one of the parents.

The care values are the ones Aquarius uses, based on how these animals live. Tank mates follow the game's rules: water type, temperature and pH, who can swallow whom, fin nipping, temperament and territory.