Taming aggression in tetras

[Nuno da Silva]

Hello everyone!

I recently stocked my 60cm cube with 15 silvertip tetras and 6 serpae tetras. They came in excellent health. I have no other fish other than a small bristlenose.

I have been running the aquarium for 3 months now and I had a huge snail population. The silvertip tetras had a feast on the snail eggs and on day two entered breeding mode.

It's caos inside the tank. The silvertip are so so aggressive to each other and to the serpae. I fear this will be the norm from now on and I would really like to lower the aggression between the fish. What do you guys recommend? Should I overstock more silvertip tetras (not very inclined to ever buy them again)? Should I overstock with other tetra? Should I lower the temp to calm them down (22 at the moment)?

I wish I could go back and remove them but catching them is not an option.

Let me know your experiences on this topic please.

Thanks

 

[megwattscreative]

I know serpae tetras can be nippy, but I believe this behaviour diffuses in larger shoals. I'm not sure personally about silvertip, but in my experience increasing the planting really helped to diffuse aggression. It always makes me laugh when a fish described as peaceful just... isn't ! I have green neons in with sundadanio axelrodi, chilli rasbora and pygmy Corys. Like you, I wanted to return the green neons after seeing all the bullying. The tetras are the largest fish in the tank, but increasing dense planting allowed the fish to stake distinct territories and feel secure without direct lines of sight to each other. Now the little Corys hold their own against the tetras when they need to, but they don't bother each other too much.

Could we see a pic of the tank?

It's also worth thinking about the size of the tank - serpae get quite large. I'm not an expert but, as silver tips are quite active, does 60cm cube feel like enough space?

Finally, are they competing for food? Or is it simply just territorial chaos?

 

[Conort2]

Silver tips are notoriously nippy, however most male tetras when in breeding mode can be a handful.

The suggestion of lowering the temperature may work, I’m sure I saw something a while back in the below water YouTube channel saying this helped reduce aggression with serpae tetras.


Cheers

 

[Aqua360]

Silver tips are notoriously nippy, however most male tetras when in breeding mode can be a handful.

The suggestion of lowering the temperature may work, I’m sure I saw something a while back in the below water YouTube channel saying this helped reduce aggression with serpae tetras.


Cheers

That's interesting, I'd never considered that, but makes sense if the current temp is possibly replicating breeding conditions and heightening tensions.

 

[Nuno da Silva]

Hello,

Thanks for the feedback! I'll post pictures of the aquarium set up in a new journal thread that I'll make later today or tomorrow!

I'm a little bit disappointed and frustrated because I wanted the tank to be a source of tranquility and now all I see is stress! I have to say, I've never though silvertip tetras could be so aggressive, I knew the serpae could be fin nippers but this is another level, this is more territorial than what I've seen in African Chiclids. I was planning to introduce 2 or 3 ottos and 3 corys as part of the cleaning team but I'm not sure that will be a good idea anymore.

The tank is not big, I'm not sure if overstocking is a good idea. It's a high tech planted tank, i'm sure it would cope nutrient wise, but visually it would look odd to overstock. But I feel that if I don't change something there will be casualties. Maybe I'll drop the temperature to 20c (a bit low to my taste) and if that doesn't change anything I will overstock. Any experiences in overstocking to reduce aggression in tetras?

Finally, are they competing for food? Or is it simply just territorial chaos?

The aggression occurs at all times, but mostly later in the day. It has nothing to do with feeding as far as I can see. Later in the day the males start to follow the females and push them into the plants and force them to release eggs. I can see the eggs being released and eaten straight away. And males do not tolerate any other male around. Because the serpae are still small, the same size as the silvertips, they get bullied as well. It's a pretty cool behaviour to watch, for a while, but it's getting harder and harder to see the fishes getting nipped fins and missing scales.

A word of advice: Silvertip Tetras (Hasemania nana) never again!!!! Be very carefull when choosing this little fish for your tank dispite all the contrary advice on the web!

 

[Aqua360]

Hello,

Thanks for the feedback! I'll post pictures of the aquarium set up in a new journal thread that I'll make later today or tomorrow!

I'm a little bit disappointed and frustrated because I wanted the tank to be a source of tranquility and now all I see is stress! I have to say, I've never though silvertip tetras could be so aggressive, I knew the serpae could be fin nippers but this is another level, this is more territorial than what I've seen in African Chiclids. I was planning to introduce 2 or 3 ottos and 3 corys as part of the cleaning team but I'm not sure that will be a good idea anymore.

The tank is not big, I'm not sure if overstocking is a good idea. It's a high tech planted tank, i'm sure it would cope nutrient wise, but visually it would look odd to overstock. But I feel that if I don't change something there will be casualties. Maybe I'll drop the temperature to 20c (a bit low to my taste) and if that doesn't change anything I will overstock. Any experiences in overstocking to reduce aggression in tetras?


The aggression occurs at all times, but mostly later in the day. It has nothing to do with feeding as far as I can see. Later in the day the males start to follow the females and push them into the plants and force them to release eggs. I can see the eggs being released and eaten straight away. And males do not tolerate any other male around. Because the serpae are still small, the same size as the silvertips, they get bullied as well. It's a pretty cool behaviour to watch, for a while, but it's getting harder and harder to see the fishes getting nipped fins and missing scales.

A word of advice: Silvertip Tetras (Hasemania nana) never again!!!! Be very carefull when choosing this little fish for your tank dispite all the contrary advice on the web!

I know you mentioned it wasn't an option to catch and re-home them, but if the problem is as bad as suggested, surely this would be worth considering?

 

[Nuno da Silva]

Yes, I guess I could drain the tank and eventually catch them all.

But before that, does anyone has experience with how to deal with this situation? what did you do?

Thanks