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Serpae tetra tank mates

Serpae tetra: semi-aggressive, 1.6 in, kept in groups of 12 or more, swims in the middle of the tank and needs about 23 gallons. It may nip fins. The list below checks every species in our catalog against it.

Each species is checked against serpae tetras both ways: mouth size, fin nipping, temperament, territory, water overlap and keeper reports.

Good tank mates

  1. Neon tetra

    Paracheirodon innesi
    Fits

    The classic community fish: a tight school of electric-blue stripes that suits planted tanks of 15 gallons and up.

    1.2 in · 17+ gal · 70–77°F · pH 5–7

  2. Harlequin rasbora

    Trigonostigma heteromorpha
    Fits

    Copper-orange schooling fish with a black wedge; hardy, calm and a good first school for a 15–20 gallon tank.

    1.4 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 6–7

  3. Panda corydoras

    Corydoras panda
    Fits

    Friendly armoured catfish that sift the sand in groups; need soft substrate and a group of six or more.

    1.6 in · 17+ gal · 72–77°F · pH 6–7.2

  4. Tiger barb

    Puntigrus tetrazona
    Fits

    Bold, fast barbs that nip fins; great in a busy group of ten, a poor match for slow or long-finned fish.

    2.2 in · 32+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

  5. Black neon tetra

    Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
    Fits

    A peaceful tetra with a bright white-over-black stripe; hardier than the neon tetra and an easy fit in any calm community tank.

    1.4 in · 23+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 5.5–7.5

  6. Black widow tetra

    Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
    Fits

    A hardy, deep-bodied tetra with black 'skirt' fins; easy for beginners, but a small group nips the fins of its tank mates.

    2.4 in · 22+ gal · 68–79°F · pH 6–7

  7. Bronze cory

    Corydoras aeneus
    Fits

    The most widely kept cory: a tough bronze-green or albino catfish that shoals along the bottom and handles a broad range of water.

    3 in · 23+ gal · 70–81°F · pH 6–8

  8. Cardinal tetra

    Paracheirodon axelrodi
    Fits

    The neon's close cousin, with red running the full length of the belly; a soft, acidic-water schooling fish that likes it warmer than neons.

    1.4 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 4–6

  9. Cherry barb

    Puntius titteya
    Fits

    One of the most peaceful barbs: males glow cherry red and leave fins alone, making it great for planted community tanks.

    2 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 6–8

  10. Glowlight tetra

    Hemigrammus erythrozonus
    Fits

    A small, translucent tetra with a glowing orange stripe along its body; peaceful, hardy and at its best in a densely planted tank.

    1.6 in · 22+ gal · 75–82°F · pH 6–7.5

  11. Kribensis

    Pelvicachromis pulcher
    Fits

    A small West African cichlid whose female has a bright belly; a cave-spawning pair digs pits and guards fry along the bottom.

    3.9 in · 23+ gal · 75–81°F · pH 6.5–7

  12. Molly

    Poecilia sphenops
    Fits

    A sturdy livebearer that needs hard water and plenty of plant food, and does well in slightly brackish conditions.

    3.1 in · 26+ gal · 70–82°F · pH 7–8.5

  13. Multies

    Neolamprologus multifasciatus
    Fits

    The smallest Tanganyika cichlid, about 2 inches, living in empty snail shells; a colony carves the sand into tiny fiercely guarded plots.

    1.8 in · 13+ gal · 77–80°F · pH 8–8.5

  14. Peppered cory

    Corydoras paleatus
    Fits

    One of the hardiest corys: a mottled catfish that sifts sand in a group of six and prefers slightly cooler water.

    2.8 in · 22+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–7

  15. Platy

    Xiphophorus maculatus
    Fits

    One of the easiest livebearers for beginners: peaceful, colourful and undemanding, happiest in moderately hard water with plants.

    2.4 in · 17+ gal · 68–79°F · pH 7–8.2

  16. Ram cichlid

    Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
    Fits

    A brilliantly coloured dwarf cichlid from the Orinoco llanos that needs warm, very clean water and calm tank mates.

    1.6 in · 17+ gal · 81–86°F · pH 4–7

  17. Rosy barb

    Pethia conchonius
    Fits

    A large, hardy barb whose males turn bright pink-red when breeding; suits cooler tanks that run without a heater.

    3.9 in · 28+ gal · 64–72°F · pH 6–8

  18. Rummy-nose tetra

    Hemigrammus bleheri
    Fits

    A tight-schooling tetra with a bright red nose and striped tail whose colour fades when water quality slips, making it a living warning light.

    2 in · 26+ gal · 73–79°F · pH 5.5–6

  19. Siamese algae eater

    Crossocheilus oblongus
    Fits

    A slim silver fish with a black stripe and one of the few that eats black beard algae; grows to about 6 inches and loves to jump.

    5.9 in · 95+ gal · 75–79°F · pH 6.5–8

  20. Swordtail

    Xiphophorus hellerii
    Fits

    A large, very active livebearer whose males carry a sword-shaped tail; it needs a long tank, a lid and hard water.

    6.3 in · 34+ gal · 72–82°F · pH 7–8

  21. White Cloud Mountain minnow

    Tanichthys albonubes
    Fits

    A small, hardy minnow with red fins that needs no heater; ideal for an unheated tank kept at room temperature.

    1.6 in · 17+ gal · 64–72°F · pH 6–8

  22. Zebra danio

    Danio rerio
    Fits

    A fast, striped danio and one of the hardiest beginner fish; schools near the surface and is happy at room temperature.

    1.5 in · 26+ gal · 64–75°F · pH 6–8

  23. Agassiz's dwarf cichlid

    Apistogramma agassizii
    Fits

    An Amazon dwarf cichlid whose males carry a lyre-shaped tail; prefers soft, acidic water and breeds in caves.

    3 in · 17+ gal · 72–84°F · pH 5–6.5

  24. Black phantom tetra

    Hyphessobrycon megalopterus
    Fits

    A calm, deep-bodied tetra with a black shoulder patch; males with tall dorsal fins put on harmless sparring displays.

    1.4 in · 23+ gal · 72–82°F · pH 6–7

And 32 more in the species catalog.

Risky

  1. Otocinclus

    Otocinclus vittatus
    With care

    Serpae tetra nips fins; Otocinclus is vulnerable (slow swimmer). Risk is reduced: the group is at least the recommended size.

    1.4 in · 17+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–7.2

  2. Cherry shrimp

    Neocaridina davidi
    With care

    Serpae tetra nips fins; Cherry shrimp is vulnerable (slow swimmer). Risk is reduced: the group is at least the recommended size.

    1.6 in · 4+ gal · 72–75°F · pH 6.5–7.8

  3. Amano shrimp

    Caridina multidentata
    With care

    Serpae tetra nips fins; Amano shrimp is vulnerable (slow swimmer). Risk is reduced: the group is at least the recommended size.

    2 in · 7+ gal · 72–77°F · pH 6.5–7.5

  4. Blood parrot cichlid

    hybrid
    With care

    Serpae tetra nips fins; Blood parrot cichlid is vulnerable (slow swimmer). Risk is reduced: the group is at least the recommended size.

    7.9 in · 36+ gal · 72–82°F · pH 6.5–8

  5. Bristlenose pleco

    Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus
    With care

    Serpae tetra nips fins; Bristlenose pleco is vulnerable (slow swimmer). Risk is reduced: the group is at least the recommended size.

    4.9 in · 17+ gal · 70–79°F · pH 5.5–7.5

  6. Chinese algae eater

    Gyrinocheilus aymonieri
    With care

    Chinese algae eater attacks fish with a similar shape or colour: Serpae tetra.

    11 in · 95+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–8

  7. Clown loach

    Chromobotia macracanthus
    With care

    Clown loach attacks fish with a similar shape or colour: Serpae tetra.

    15.7 in · 202+ gal · 75–86°F · pH 5–7

  8. Common pleco

    Pterygoplichthys pardalis
    With care

    Serpae tetra nips fins; Amazon sailfin catfish (common pleco) is vulnerable (slow swimmer). Risk is reduced: the group is at least the recommended size.

    22.8 in · 203+ gal · 77–82°F · pH 7–7.5

  9. Demasoni

    Chindongo demasoni (syn. Pseudotropheus demasoni)
    With care

    Demasoni attacks fish with a similar shape or colour: Serpae tetra.

    3 in · 64+ gal · 75–82°F · pH 8.2–8.5

  10. Discus

    Symphysodon aequifasciatus (species complex)
    With care

    Serpae tetra nips fins; Discus is vulnerable (slow swimmer). Risk is reduced: the group is at least the recommended size.

    5.5 in · 80+ gal · 79–86°F · pH 5–7

  11. Dwarf gourami

    Trichogaster lalius
    With care

    Serpae tetra nips fins; Dwarf gourami is vulnerable (slow swimmer). Risk is reduced: the group is at least the recommended size.

    3 in · 18+ gal · 72–81°F · pH 6–7.5

  12. Fairy cichlid

    Neolamprologus brichardi
    With care

    Serpae tetra nips fins; Fairy cichlid (Brichardi) is vulnerable (long fins). Risk is reduced: the group is at least the recommended size.

    3.5 in · 34+ gal · 73–79°F · pH 8–9

And 35 more in the species catalog.

Avoid

  1. Fancy guppy

    Poecilia reticulata
    Avoid

    Serpaes nip guppy tails.

    1.4 in · 13+ gal · 75–81°F · pH 7–8

  2. Betta

    Betta splendens
    Avoid

    Serpaes shred betta fins.

    2.8 in · 11+ gal · 72–86°F · pH 6–7.5

  3. Angelfish

    Pterophyllum scalare
    Avoid

    Angelfish can eat Serpae tetra: prey body depth 0.9 cm ≤ mouth 2.3 cm.

    3.5 in · 32+ gal · 77–84°F · pH 6–7

  4. Blue dolphin cichlid

    Cyrtocara moorii
    Avoid

    Blue dolphin cichlid can eat Serpae tetra: prey body depth 0.9 cm ≤ mouth 6.3 cm.

    9.8 in · 80+ gal · 77–81°F · pH 8–8.5

  5. Convict cichlid

    Amatitlania nigrofasciata
    Avoid

    Convict cichlid can eat Serpae tetra: prey body depth 0.9 cm ≤ mouth 3.8 cm.

    5.9 in · 34+ gal · 75–82°F · pH 7–8

  6. Firemouth cichlid

    Thorichthys meeki
    Avoid

    Firemouth cichlid can eat Serpae tetra: prey body depth 0.9 cm ≤ mouth 3.0 cm.

    4.7 in · 34+ gal · 75–82°F · pH 6.5–8.5

  7. Goldfish

    Carassius auratus
    Avoid

    Goldfish can eat Serpae tetra: prey body depth 0.9 cm ≤ mouth 3.0 cm.

    5.9 in · 24+ gal · 50–75°F · pH 6.5–8

  8. Iridescent shark

    Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
    Avoid

    Iridescent shark can eat Serpae tetra: prey body depth 0.9 cm ≤ mouth 32.5 cm.

    51.2 in · 4532+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6.5–7.5

  9. Jewel cichlid

    Rubricatochromis bimaculatus (syn. Hemichromis bimaculatus)
    Avoid

    Jewel cichlid can eat Serpae tetra: prey body depth 0.9 cm ≤ mouth 3.8 cm.

    5.9 in · 34+ gal · 72–82°F · pH 6–7.8

  10. Oscar

    Astronotus ocellatus
    Avoid

    Oscar can eat Serpae tetra: prey body depth 0.9 cm ≤ mouth 12.3 cm.

    13.8 in · 168+ gal · 72–77°F · pH 6–7.5

  11. Severum

    Heros severus / Heros efasciatus
    Avoid

    Severum can eat Serpae tetra: prey body depth 0.9 cm ≤ mouth 5.0 cm.

    7.9 in · 76+ gal · 72–84°F · pH 5.5–6.5

  12. Three spot gourami

    Trichopodus trichopterus
    Avoid

    Three spot gourami can eat Serpae tetra: prey body depth 0.9 cm ≤ mouth 3.8 cm.

    5.9 in · 26+ gal · 75–86°F · pH 6–8

And 34 more in the species catalog.

Every tank is different. Set yours up once (size, water, who already lives there) and each species is checked against it.

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