| Serpae Tetra | Tropical Fish Information |
| Size | Up to 1.5 inches or 4 cm |
| Fish Hardiness | Easy to keep |
| Water Temperature | 69.8 to 80.6°F or 21 to 27°C |
| Water Ph | 5.0 to 8.0 pH |
| Water Hardness | 5 to 25 dH |
| Peaceful or Aggressive | Can be considered as aggressive due to its very active nature |
| Number of same species in tank | Minimum of five or more, more is better |
| Community Fish | Yes, when selecting tank mates that are bigger than them or also very active |
| Sexes | Males are more slender built with brighter colors than the paler, round bodied females |
| Strata | Bottom to middle |
| Food | Flake food, live or frozen blood worms and brine shrimp |
| Breeding | Easy to breed |
| Breeding temperature | 77 to 80.6°F or 25 to 27°C |
| Other names | Jewel Tetra |
| Scientific name | Hyphessobrycon eques or H. serpae or H. callistus. |
| Lifespan | 5 years |
Ideal Serpae Tetra Conditions
Appearance
This is another species from my tropical fish index. Their main body color is silvery reddish almost amber. The caudal fin is red, the anal fin red with a black edge and the dorsal fin is black. On the side of the body it has a black diamond shaped patch just behind the head. Another patch reddish in color can be seen behind the eye when looking carefully.
Aggressive, Active
These are very active fish that needs to be kept in schools of five or more to divert their attention from other fish species. The reason being that they swim together when in a school but when kept in smaller numbers they seek attention from other fish which they then tend to hurt.
Strata
They mainly prefer the middle parts of the aquarium.
Community
This Tropical Fish is a good selection for a community aquarium setup but do take care when selecting other fish for the same aquarium and select species that are active and hardy fish.