Fishy tales from the Aquarium

Found in the Madeira and Guaporé regions of the Amazon river, and in upper Paraguay, the Serpae Tetra (also known as the Red Minor Tetra or thhe Jewel Tetra), is one of the more colorful tetras that sometimes gets a bad reputation for being a fin nipper.
This behavior however, is usually brought on because they are not being kept in schools of 6 or more. A great addition to your community tank, you’ll generally find them  swimming in a shoal happily chasing each other around the place. They tend to swim in all regions of the tank.

With their body shades varing from bright red to reddish brown, they look their best in an aquarium with a lush growth of live aquarium plants. Their distinguishing marks are a black comma-shaped mark that is found right behind the gill cover. As the fish grows older, the marking grows smaller. The anal fin, ventral fins and tail are all red, and the anal fin is fringed with black and white layers. The dorsal fin of the Serpae tetra is tall and black, and has a thin white fringe (which can sometimes have a reddish hue).

Tank Setup: These fish are pretty tough, hardy, resilient fish, able to adapt to a variety of water conditions, making them a good choice for beginners. You would need to ensure that their tank has plenty of plants (with some floating plants to dim the light), with open swimming spaces. In the wild, they are generally found in calm black waters with densely grown plants.

Feeding: In the wild, they tend to feast on insects, worms, crustaceans and plants, but are not too fussy – they are pretty happy with flakes and frozen food as well. The best option would be to provide them variation in their diet.
To know how to breed your serpae tetra, go here.

Serpae Tetra Facts
Common Names: Jewel tetra, Red minor tetra, Blood characin, Blood tetra, Callistus tetra, Red serpa
Scientific Name: Hyphessobrycon callistus, Hyphessobrycon eques, Hyphessobrycon serpae
Family: Characidae
Origin: South America (Guaporé and Madeira regions of the Amazon, and Paraguay River basins)
Care Level: Easy, good for freshwater beginners
Tank Size: Minimum 10 gallons
Tank Region: Generally all regions
Adult Size: 1.5 inches (4 cm)
Gender: Hard to determine, but the female may be more round in shape.
Life Span: 5 – 8 years
Temperature: 73°F – 81°F (23°C – 27°C)
pH: 6 – 7.5
Social skills: Peaceful but keep in schools of at least 6 to prevent them from nipping fins of their tankmates.
Breeding: Egg scatterers. Not too difficult to breed.
Compatible Tank Mates: Other Tetras, Catfish and Plecos, Swordtails.
Feeding: Omnivore, they will eat many fish foods including flakes, freeze dried and live foods.

Pic via here.

Other tetras
Breeding Your Serpae Tetra
Congo Tetra – The African Beauty
Black Tetra – The Widow In The Butterfly Skirt
Black Phantom Tetra
Neon Tetras – Lighting Up Your Fish Tank

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