Fin Nippers

[Bill M.]

I am so pissed. My black skirts in my ten gallon QT are being nipped my the Serpae in the tank as well. There are 4 black skirts and 3 serpae. I am headed to Home Depot to buy some plexi-glass to make a tank divider so I can seperate my black skirts so they can heal. I am gunna drill holes in the plexi-glass for water flow....opinions, comments?

[troy]

I had the same problem with my 4 serpaes. One serpae was eventually killed. Try to return the serpae tetras because it looks like you don't room to get more of them.

[Bill M.]

@ Troy

Dude... that ten gallon is my quarantine tank. After a week they will be put in my 29 gallon. I am sure thats plenty of room for 5 serpae.... like GM said, be wise and don't post uneducated posts.

[rollie]

it should work. i done it before with no problem. lol

[gm72]

@ Troy

Dude... that ten gallon is my quarantine tank. After a week they will be put in my 29 gallon. I am sure thats plenty of room for 5 serpae.... like GM said, be wise and don't post uneducated posts.

Thanks for the backup there, Bill!

I have found with most tetras and other fish as well that they will nip when they are not in a large enough school. 3 serpae is not a large enough school. I had the same problem, and when I doubled the size of the school (I went from 4 to 8) the negative behavior disappeared. I have had this experience with many fish. So, I'd just get 3 or 4 more serpae, 3 or 4 more black skirts, and see what that does. I'd be willing to bet the behavior will go away. You'll have nicer schooling behaviors to enjoy as well, and in that 29 still have plenty of room for other tank mates once the biofilter gets up to speed with the bioload.

[jessie]

I found that serpaes did not do well in my 29 gallon, even with a school of 6. They were extremely nippy amongst themselves and with all the others. They terrorized everybody else in the tank and I ended up taking them back in exchange for some platies.

[troy]

I'm well aware that's your quarantine tank. I read in AFM it's best to have at least a dozen if aggression occurs so that's why you probably wouldn't have enough room.

[gm72]

Troy, how in the world do you figure he wouldn't have room for a dozen serpaes in a 29 gallon tank?

[RobbieG]

I have 6 serpae and 6 blacks skirts in one of my tanks and they are pretty well behaved

I have 8 combined white skirts and diamonds in with 2 serpaes in another and they are OK too.

In the one with 6 and 6 they limit any chasing to each other and never seem to do any catching and in the one where they are way outnumbered they keep their heads down

[Bill M.]

Yes, I know 3 isnt enough, but when the week is over, they will be added to my 29 which already has 2 serpae and 2 black skirts... so id have a total of 5 serpae and 6 black skirt. Was supposed to have 6 of each, but one serpae was sick when I brought him home so I only had 3

[kkyyllee]

I'm well aware that's your quarantine tank. I read in AFM it's best to have at least a dozen if aggression occurs so that's why you probably wouldn't have enough room.
i think he means that u might have problems with the three together while ther in qt, one killing the others

[zackish]

@ Troy

Dude... that ten gallon is my quarantine tank. After a week they will be put in my 29 gallon. I am sure thats plenty of room for 5 serpae.... like GM said, be wise and don't post uneducated posts.

I wouldn't call it uneducated because serpaes are known to be fin nippers. Like other people said though when you increase the school number they should get better.