Breeding Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon Eques) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater species lives in standing waters or slow-flowing waters with loads of plants (small lakes, ponds, streams, tributaries, floodplains) in Guiana, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.

Body description

Colour of the body is red-orange. There is a black spot behind the gills cover. This spot looks like a triangle or rhombus. Body of the fish is a laterally compressed. Colour of the fins is red. The anal and caudal fins are elongated horizontally with a white border. The pelvic fins have a white border, too. All fins without the pelvic fins have black border. Males have almost completely black dorsal fin, females have almost completely red dorsal fin. Female is larger, thicker in ventral parts, and less colourful than male.

Temperament and behaviour

This is peaceful, active, and shoal fish. It can attack smaller species when it is older, during a feeding-time or when a tank is too small. Then it usually nibble other fish fins. Fish prefers to live in a group of 6 minimum. If you have a group then all the aggressive behaviours stays within the group.

Aquarium decoration

You should keep this species in Amazon biotope aquarium. Tank should include a lot of roots, plants, floating plants, dried leaves (beech or oak leaves which you need to change every few weeks), sandy substrate, and dimmed light. Water should have colour of "light tea" (for this purpose you can add some peat to a filtration system or you can put it into a net and submerge it in the water). You can put this fish only to the aquarium with chemically stable water (all parameters must be stable). This species can be kept in the general tank too. The aquarium should have a lot of plants, roots, dark substrate, dimmed light. These fish likes clear water with effective but gentle filtration system. A partial water changes should be regularly done. The fish swims mostly at the top and in the middle water level.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. Breeding should be made in a separate tank. The aquarium should have dimmed light (or without light), very soft water, slightly acidic pH, 26-28°C water temperature, floating plants with fine leaves or a fish hatchery (you do not need substrate), effective but gentle filtration system (you may add peat to the filtration system). Before spawning you should separate males form females and feed them wit plenty of food. You should transfer the thickest female and most colourful male to the breeding tank, in the evening. They should spawn next day, in the morning. You have to immediately remove the parents after laying the roe. The eggs hatch after 1-1,5 days. The fry starts to swim and feed 3-4 days later. The roe and fry are sensitive to light and water conditions. It is necessary to cover the tank and regularly do the partial water changes (the best would be to do it through the filtration system).