Encyclopaedia
Serpae Tetra (Red Minor Tetra)
Hyphessobrycon eques
The Serpae Tetra or Red Minor Tetra (*Hyphessobrycon eques*) is an extraordinarily robust Characin with an incendiary color, characterized by a deep blood-red livery with a conspicuous comma-shaped (or rhombus-shaped) black spot just behind the gill cover. The fins, dark and bordered with a blinding white, are often held rigidly open in ritual threat poses, making the school constantly on display. Reaching 4 cm (1.5 inches) and possessing a very tall and compressed silhouette, it is a visually magnificent fish and almost indestructible in terms of water parameters. Nevertheless, it is notoriously famous in the aquarium hobby for being an unrepentant 'fin-nipper': if kept incorrectly, it will destroy the fins of any other slow or veiled tank mate.
- Family
- Characidae
- Origin
- Sud America (Bacino amazzonico in Brasile, Perù, Paraguay, Bolivia e Argentina settentrionale)
- Origin
- Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas
- Tank use
- Used in 0 tanks
Share
22 °C - 28 °C
5.5 - 7.5
Freshwater
Bottom and middle
4.5 cm
Description
Geographic Origin and Biotope: Closely related to the Amazon Basin (Mato Grosso, Guapore, Paraguay). Lives among the thick grasses and marginal roots of slow-flowing rivers (Igarapés).
Taxonomy and Morphology: Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques). Confused and historically sold as H. callistus or H. serpae. Massive rhomboidal shape (Rosy Tetra clade), but of a much more robust and predatory nature.
Social Behavior: The "Miniature Piranha" (Fin Nipper). A school (minimum 10 or 12) will create a fierce hierarchy system. Extremely bellicose towards other fish if the school is less than 6 individuals (they bite and tear fins).
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Very dark blood red/brick red color all over the body. Shoulder marked by the classic lozenge-shaped black symbol. Anal fin almost black, dorsal fin black bordered with pure white. Vibrant scarlet male.
Care and observations
Aquarium Setup: They need a forest (100 cm+ / 40+ inches): bushes of stem plants (Hygrophila) and large intertwined woods that break their lines of sight, or the weakest will be hunted and bullied to death.
Diet and Feeding: Omnivore with a voracious bite. When bloodworms enter the water, the Serpae Tetra school stages a crazy "Feeding frenzy" tearing the frozen cube to pieces en masse.
Water Quality: Armored like a tank. Accepts the hardness of European tap water and huge pH variants (5-8), although in neutral/basic waters the colors regress from red to washed-out hazelnut.
Compatibility and Tankmates: TERRIBLE companion for slow or veil-finned fish. Absolutely NEVER pair it with Guppies, Bettas, and even adult Angelfish will end up with chewed filaments. Excellent with large armored Cichlids, Loricariids and large Barbs.
Aquarium Reproduction: Productive. They scatter adhesive eggs among Cabomba leaves, fertilized in groups (Egg-scatterer). They voraciously cannibalize both eggs and fry a millisecond after spawning.
Risks and Diseases: Community massacres. The shopkeeper will sell them to you as peaceful "Colorful Tetras": putting them in a standard 60-liter (15-gallon) tank with Guppies will lead to the systematic killing of the latter.
Fish profile
- Temperament
- Aggressivo e Morsicatore (Fin-nipper). Stabiliscono rigide gerarchie interne. I maschi passano il tempo a scontrarsi a pinne spiegate. Se in gruppo numeroso (10+) le aggressioni restano all'interno del branco. Se tenuti in piccoli numeri (sotto i 6), diventeranno veri sicari per gli altri pesci.
- Diet
- Onnivoro/Micropredatore. Estremamente voraci e competitivi sul cibo (spesso i primi ad arrivare mangiando a morsi frenetici in superficie). Fiocchi, granuli affondanti, daphnia e, in particolare, chironomus vivo (bloodworms) per esaltare il pigmento rosso sangue.
- Tank level
- Bottom and middle
- Minimum group
- 10
- Adult size
- 4.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 80 L
- GH
- 1 dGH - 15 dGH
- KH
- n/a
- TDS
- n/a
- Conductivity
- n/a
- Sex ratio
- Grande branco Tassativo (Minimo 10, idealmente 15 esemplari). Essenziale per disperdere la loro violenza intrinseca. Maschi più magri, di un rosso più acceso (spesso bordeaux) e con bordi neri/bianchi delle pinne molto più definiti. Femmine rotonde, leggermente sbiadite e più grandi.
- Feeding frequency
- 1-2 volte al giorno, lanciando abbondante cibo in modo che si sparpagli, riducendo l'aggressività durante il pasto.
- Bioload
- Medio-Basso
- Flow
- Corrente Debole o Moderata. Evitare flussi torrenziali costanti.
- Reproduction
- Facili riproduttori in vasche fittamente piantumate. Abbandonano le uova tra le piante a foglia fine (come il muschio di Giava). Essendo voraci predatori delle loro stesse uova, le femmine gravide devono essere trasferite in vasche con griglie di fondo se si vuole salvare la covata commerciale.
- Compatibility
- Mantenimento complesso a causa della propensione al 'fin-nipping'. IL DIVIETO ASSOLUTO: MAI con pesci a pinne lunghe (Guppy, Betta Splendens, Scalari o Gourami): li lasceranno spennati a sangue in 48 ore. Convivenza adatta solo a pesci altrettanto aggressivi, robusti e senza pinne fluenti: Barbi Tigre, grossi Danio, Corydoras veloci e Ciclidi Nani (Ramirezi) sapendo farsi rispettare.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.