red serpae questions

serpaekeeper45

Hi! I have 4 red serpae in my 30 gallon tank.They always get into a group and sit near the bottom and rarely swim around .Unlike my 5 black fin tetras they always stay in one spot.I am wondering if I need to get a couple more or if that is just what they do all day.Any suggestions

Falina

from what i have managed to find they are very active fish, even to the poihnt of nipping and harassing other fish in the tnak. im not sure that adding more would help because the agression/fin nipping is less in a group which to me means that they will be even more peaceful in a larger number. it doesnt seem like normal behaviour though. how long have you had them? perhaps if theyre new theyre just not settled yet?

serpaekeeper45

I have only had them for about 2 or 3 days.Also only have 2 plants in the tank.They are both fake,and are not that big.Can that make a difference???

Falina

i have read that they do like a planted tank.

i wouldnt get any more right away, theyve only been there a wee while so give them a bit more time to settle in imo before worrying too much.

plants are good for the water though, and look more attractive to me anyway, you might want to consider live plants since it seems they like tham anyway.

serpaekeeper45

I will wait awhile before getting new plants for my tank so I can see what the serpae end up doing. 8)

Lupin

At this point of saying you had them only for 2-3 days, you'll need to wait until they completely adapt to your tank.;)

carpy

what else do you have in the tank?
in short, i think it is to do with the fact that you have only 4 of them. if you think about it in the wild they will be in large shoals, so they will feel more confidant if they are in a larger group.

serpaekeeper45

The other things that I have in the tank are a sunken ship that does not take up too much space in the tank(they always hide behind this)I have a small treasure chest with a plant behind it,and also a cave that I made out of rocks.I also have various rocks that are not to big(river rocks)all over the bottom.I really hope this helps.

serpaekeeper45

It has been a few days and they are still doing the same thing .How long does it take them to adapt? The only time that they do anything is when I feed them.then they swim a little just to get some food.Well i guess its good that their eating.

joeshmoe

what r your water stats