Warning Serpae Tetra and Angelfish don't mix

[Angelfish1977]

warning and I repeat warning do not ever put serpae tetra with angelfish. I learned the hard way and ended up taking the tetras back to the store. These nasty tetras lead to the death of my biggest angelfish and caused some minor damage to my younger angelfish. I also lost my old Cory catfish. Now I’m just left with 2 angels and 2 white skirt Tetra now my tank is in waiting and watching mode to get it stabilized before I add anymore to it.

 

[Noroomforshoe]

I am curios. how big your tank is, how many of each fish you have, how many white skirts did you have. Why do you blame the deaths on the serpae tetras?

I am not trying to be rude! But I would like to hear your story,
had a bad experiance with serpae tetra a while back." I had 7 of them in a 30 gallon tank and they were chasing all the other fish. I gave them to somone with a larger school of them, I think there are some know fin nipping, tail chasing rambunctios fish out there, like zebra danios, skirt tetra, tiger barbs... and I would do a lot of reasearch before adding anything in with long finned fish like angels. or complex teritorial fish like angelsand other cichlids, it can also help to keep these active fish in large schools "12+"

Sorry about your fish, losing an angel fish hurts as they are such personable fish!

 

[ProudPapa]

I would also like to know more details about how many you had, and a picture of the tank would be appreciated. Inadequate hiding places for them to go to if they feel threatened is another aggression trigger, along with inadequate numbers in the group.

While I haven't kept them with angelfish, I did have them in a tank with multiple pearl gouramis for several years with zero issues.

 

[kallililly1973]

Sorry you had an issue with the serpea. I’ve had them in community tanks since I started 6 years ago with no issues. Maybe a better option for you would’ve been to up your white skirt shoal seeing you weren’t having issue till you added the serpae. Just my .02…. Good luck

 

[A201]

The Serpae Tetras must have sensed a weakness in the Angels.

In other scenarios, Angelfish are often the aggressors towards various Tetra species and of course conspecifics.

If you are still interested in a larger and relatively peaceful Tetra, Look at the Diamond Tetra.

 

[Angelfish1977]

My tank is 35 gallon cube. I’ve had 2 white skirt for a long time and they never went after the angels like the surpae did. The tank is deeper rather than wider, here’s an old picture of me and the tank before the issues. The tank originally had 3 angels and a Cory catfish along with the 2 white skirt tetras and 6 surpae before the issue.