Characins - Written by Charlie on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 19:40 - 5 Comments
Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon callistus)
Serpae Tetra Photo © C.B. Agulto
Profile
Origin: Amazon River and Paraguay
Behavior: Generally peaceful, should be kept in schools of six or more. May nip fins of other fish if they are kept in small groups.
Temperature: 72–79 °F (22-26 °C)
pH: 5.5 - 7.0
Size: 1.5″ (4 cm)
Diet: Accepts flakes and most aquaria food.
Breeding: Egg layer. Easy to breed in aquarium. Plant the breeding tank with many fine-leaved plants (Myriophyllum, Cabomba) and floating plants. Adjust the water quality, so it has a pH of 6.5-7.0.
Sex: Females are rounder than males.
Notes
Serpae Tetra Photo © C.B. Agulto
The Serpae Tetra is popular because of its distinct red coloration and its hardiness in the community aquarium. There are many contrasting reports on the behavior of the Serpae Tetra. Some owners argue that Serpae Tetras are fin-nippers, while some owners claim they are absolutely peace in their community tank. The activity of Serpae Tetras may be hard to predict because of the different reports about their behavior.
Conclusion
Care: 
Hardiness:
Temperament:
Breeding:
Overall:
5 Comments
Charlie
juan
they are fish that love being in a group of 5 or 6 but they will end up figthing if keep along with other small fish, also they are horney fish they will mate alot , so dont have alot of them together soo good luck ,, your man , juan villanueva
sweetie 0980
i have three of them with 2 different types of tertas and mollys they are doing fine !! bvut yes they are fin nippers but that was only when i first got them now they stay to them selves i think they figured out that there is more then enough space for everyone 
k well thats all i have to say !! oh and thankyou for the info !!! buh byes
Heather
I bought a guppy and a tetra for my sons first pet. We bought them from Wal-mart and I listened to the person at the store who said that they would be fine together. Well this morning the poor guppys fin was severly damaged and he was on his last “fins” should I say. Maybe they will let me exchange it, we’ll see. So I would definitely 2nd the tail nipping. The tetra did seem very fast moving compared to the guppy once I got them home.
Kim
I agree with Charlie. I actually have 1 serpae tetra (aka tiger tetra) , a black tetra, 2 neon tetras believe it or not and a male Beta fish all in a 5 gallon tank! They pretty much all do get along but once in a while you see them act up like kids. The most agressive ones believe it or not is the black and serpae tetra.
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- German Blue Ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi)
- Bronze Cory (Corydoras aeneus)
- Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia)
- Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon callistus)
- Rosy Barb (Puntius conchonius)
- Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi)
- Tiger Barb (Puntius tetrazona)
- Welcome to Tropical Fish Profiles!
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The behavior of Serpae Tetras are usually hard to tell. In some cases, they are avid fin-nippers, while in other cases, they are as peaceful as other species.