Serpae Tetras w/ Angelfish???

[kmny34]

Can I keep a group of 10-12 Serpaes with me 3 angelfish in my 90 gallon?
Or would they nip my angels fins?

 

[PNWaquarist]

Oh, hell no. Those angels will get torn to pieces.

In fact, I'd highly recommend Serpaes in a species-only tank. They might be OK with very nocturnal species such as Kuhli Loaches or Clown Plecos but, even in large tanks, I've heard too many horror stories about them.

 

[kmny34]

Oh, hell no. Those angels will get torn to pieces.

In fact, I'd highly recommend Serpaes in a species-only tank. They might be OK with very nocturnal species such as Kuhli Loaches or Clown Plecos but, even in large tanks, I've heard too many horror stories about them.

Wow that sucks. You make them sound like they are worse then the fears tiger barbs, are they?

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[PNWaquarist]

Wow that sucks. You make them sound like they are worse then the fears tiger barbs, are they?

They're generally not considered as bad as Tiger Barbs, but they're not too far behind. I've never kept Serpae, but have heard stories about them attacking Corys, despite being in spacious tanks and in shoals of 10+. There seems to be a lot of variability and dependence on tank space, plant density, lighting, etc. I wouldn't trust them with most diurnal species.

If you're looking for a good shoal of tetras for your a 90 gallon that won't get eaten by your Angels, you might want to consider Bleeding Heart or Emperor. If you want a species that looks like Serpae, Red Phantoms are pretty close and lack the aggressiveness.

 

[rockyofhockey]

I disagree in a large enough school and tank with enough hiding places and sight line breakers this Can work....
Is this a planted tank because Serpae love plants and driftwood. They are nippy and during feeding time they will probably nip the Angels but it's for the frenzy and it's honestly not all to bad. Go on YouTube and watch "Wayne's fish world"- Serpae tetra care. He house them with 4 angels in a 125 I believe.


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[Andy Sager]

I would consider them safer with standard fin Angels but not Veiltail ones. Those frilly fins of a Veiltail can be very tempting for a nibble to Serpaes. In schools, most Tetras seem to be less aggressive however, this is not true for all ( ie. exodon & BA tetras) so you need to do your research on typical behavior of any fish you want to add.

Hope this helps.

 

[PNWaquarist]

I disagree in a large enough school and tank with enough hiding places and sight line breakers this Can work....
Is this a planted tank because Serpae love plants and driftwood. They are nippy and during feeding time they will probably nip the Angels but it's for the frenzy and it's honestly not all to bad. Go on YouTube and watch "Wayne's fish world"- Serpae tetra care. He house them with 4 angels in a 125 I believe.

I've heard success stories of Serape with numerous species, and I've heard stories of disaster as well. Can work and will work are two different things.

One thing that I do know is that Serpae need a lot of space if they're going to peacefully coexist with tankmates. So, if you have a 90 gallon tank and the 10 or so Serpae don't harass the Angels, great. But your future stocking will be somewhat limited at that point and, IMO, that seems like a waste of a large tank. If it were me, I'd do less aggressive species in the 90 and put the Serape in a species-only 20 long.

 

[aclark]

I have 10 (well 7 now) Serpae Tetras, 10 Red Eye Tetras, and 3 Opaline Gourami in my 75 gallon and they all seem to be doing ok (other than the 3 Serpaes that died). The Serpaes seem to keep to themselves for the most part, playing and chasing each other. Occasionally they will interact with the Red Eyes, but I have yet to see them bother the Gourami. Granted they don't have the fins of an Angle, but they are prone to getting nipped from what I've read.