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Serpae tetra, photographed on a transparent background

FreshwaterIn the market60 coinsCommon

Serpae tetra

Hyphessobrycon eques

Blood red and restless; it will not leave a long-finned neighbor alone.

The Serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) is a tropical freshwater fish of the family Acestrorhamphidae. It swims in midwater, close to the bottom. Adults grow to about 4 cm. In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 80 cm long and water at 22–27 °C.

Size
4 cm
Smallest tank
80 cm
Temperature
22–27 °C
Care
Easy

In the aquarium

Temperature22–27 °C
pH5.5–7.5
Hardness1–12 °dGH
Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Busy
Water layer
Mid water
Group
Happiest in a group of 12 or more
Plants
Plant safe
Drawn to scale in a 80 cm tank

These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.

Which tank it fits

  • Nano60 cm · 65 litresToo small
  • Standard90 cm · 180 litres60 of them
  • Wide120 cm · 300 litres100 of them
  • Living room180 cm · 650 litres216 of them
  • Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres400 of them
  • Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres480 of them

Who it lives with

In the wild

Water type
Freshwater
Climate zone
Tropical
Habitat
Midwater, close to the bottom
Aquarium trade
Very common

Conservation status

Classification

  1. OrderCharaciformes
  2. FamilyAcestrorhamphidae
  3. GenusHyphessobrycon
  4. SpeciesHyphessobrycon eques
  5. Described bySteindachner, 1882

In other languages

German
Blutsalmler
Spanish
Serpae
French
Tétra-joyau
Russian
Серпас

Quick answers

Serpae tetra size: how big does it get?
Adults reach about 4 cm. Record sizes among the 30 Hyphessobrycon species on LumaReef: 1.9 cm (Yellow Phantom Tetra) to 13.2 cm (Buenos Aires Tetra).
Serpae tetra tank size: what is the minimum?
A tank at least 80 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Standard tank or larger.
Serpae tetra water parameters: what does it need?
Temperature 22–27 °C, pH 5.5–7.5, hardness 1–12 °dGH. Close to what most Hyphessobrycon on LumaReef need (20–28 °C).
Serpae tetra tank mates: what can it live with?
It gets along with 47 of the 99 freshwater species in the catalogue, such as Black neon tetra, Glowlight tetra, and Cardinal tetra.
Serpae tetra: alone or in a group?
Keep at least 12 together.
Serpae tetra and plants: is it plant safe?
Yes, it leaves plants alone.

All Acestrorhamphidae speciesAll species A–Z

Sources

Serpae tetra: compiled from these references.