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Hey, I have a 48G gallon aquarium with 2Keyholes, 5corys, 10serpeas, 1Dwarfgourami and 3ottos.

My problem is My Serpeas keep attacking my corys at feeding time when they eat the tablets. Well only 3 of the 5 have nipped fins, but I want to move them to my 20G with 2female platys and 1Betta.

So will they work in a 20G?
And What Kind of bottom fish can I put in there, something tougher?

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

what kind of cories are they?

*Chelle*
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I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

Bronze, sorry forgot that.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

When I had serpea tetras (a while ago now) they would attack every fish in my tank at feeding time, including my keyholes which were much bigger than them.
So to be honest I would be very tempted to take them back, they are as much trouble as tiger barbs in my opinion.
But if you want them in the 20g, add a BN and I'd personally leave it at that.

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Billy was a scientist, Billy is no more. For what he thought was H20, was H2SO4

Well, I never see then go after my keys or gourami, only my cories at feeding time, Thats why I want to move them, The serpeas fight more amongst themselves.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

One possible solution that will allow you to keep the Serpaes and the Corys together springs to mind.

Do you simply put food in in one place and let everyone scramble over it? Because that's a BAD idea with Serpaes.

Though I don't have fin nipping demons to deal with in the Panda Fun Palace, what I DO have is 12 adult Pandas and 4 Otocinclus that require regular feeding. So, when the Hikari wafer bits go in, I break them into bits and scatter them over a wide area so that everyone has a chance to tuck in.

Find a spot where your Corys like to hang out. Put some food in for the Serpaes away from this spot (broken into bits and spread about a bit), then do the same near the Cory hangout. Feed the Serpaes first, then while they're squabbling over the food in their corner, feed the Corys.

The way I deliver sinking food such as Hikari wafers to specific locations is this. I press into service a spare piece of undergravel filter uplift tube. I pop the Hikari bits (pre soaked for about 5 seconds so that they sink fast) into one end of the tube, and point the other end where I want the bits to go. I suspect if you use a technique such as this, you may be able to maintain better compatibility between your nice peaceful Corys and your demon Serpaes. Give it a try and see!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I tryed what you said and it works, but can I have some suggestions on what I can put as a bottom feeder is I move my cories? No BN pleco I dont really like them.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

This is a 46 gallon aquarium, so ... if you're looking for a tough catfish that will hold its own against the Serpaes, you could try a Rapahel.

ALL Doradid catfishes are tough as tanks. Not only are they very heavily armoured, but the armour is covered with rows of nice serrations. In effect, a Doradid is a fish with its own built in razor wire, so any Serpae taking a nip is in for a shock. In fact, Doradids are tough enough to be housed alongside hardcore criminals such as Green Terror Cichlids - in fact, quite a few Doradids share their wild habitat with big, brutal fishes such as Green Terrors, Oscars and Cichla ocellaris, the Peacock Bass. They've evolved that armour cladding to fend off FAR worse threats than your Serpaes.

Just make sure it has some caves to call its own, and if you ever have to move it for some reason, DON'T use a conventional net or you'll be spending ages cutting the net off the fish. Likewise, be VERY careful about trying to handle it if ever the need arises - the pectoral fins are armed with particularly shapr spines, and the pectorals are designed to clamp against the body and trap flesh. It's the Doradid's way of letting you know it isn't edible. If you EVER get a finger stuck between the body and the pectoral spines of one of these fishes, it's going to be a bloody mess and VERY painful, because unless you're prepared to just sit there and let the fish clamp its spines against you until it relaxes, then the only other way of extricating your finger is to tear two layers of skin off. Just to let you know.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

WOW, lol dangerous fish, after reading about them, I do have a cave but its pretty small, I made it bigger ut It might not be big enough.
Anyother suggestions?

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

First of all, Raphaels aren't actually dangerous. They're capable of looking after themselves, but they don't usually pick fights. However, if something starts a fight with it, chances are whatever fish si stupid enough to do this will end up backing off pretty quickly when it realises that the Doradid is basically an impregnable box with fins. One whose fins are also protected by barbs and serrations.

Second, it's generally regarded as being a fizh that mixes well with a wide range of comapnions, from peaceful fishes such as Lemon Tetras through to Cichlid terrorists such as Festaes. That armour coating goes a long way toward enabling it to mix with the latter.

At over six inches fully grown, a Raphael is going to be a robust catfish. There are, however, related species that are just as tough and well protected (and which will therefore be immune to any attentions that your Serpaes might be tempted to impose) but which stay somewhat smaller. Acanthodoras spinosissimus, the original Talking Catfish from the venerable Innes book, reaches 4 inches and generally doens't get much bigger, so if you can find that species (sometimes it's sold as a "Chocolate Raphael", but here in the UK it's better known as the Talking Catfish) then this is a nice choice. Oh, be prepared in the case of this fish, for your aqurium to begin emitting pig grunting noises, and quite loudly too, because this species is THE Talking Catfish of legend, the one that was infamous for its vocal activities even before Innes started work on his book in the 1930s! This one is even more of an underwater chestnut burr than the familiar Raphael, so again, don't get it tangled in a net!

Agamyxis pectinifrons, the Spotted Raphael (same family) is another Doradid (this time 5 inches) that could also fit the bill. Amblydoras hancocki, the Marbled Raphael, is another 5 inch species that again is well protected from unwelcome attentions by anything aggressive.

If you can find Astrodoras asterifrons, which is a rarity to put it mildly, then this fish could be even better because it's only 3.1 inches long. Hypsodoras forfulicatus, another rarity, is 4 inches or so.

However, be VERY careful when choosing a Doradid catfish. I've hunted down some small ones for you, but there are some juggernauts among them too - Megalodoras uranoscopus is a serious battle tank of a fish that reaches 27 inches, so unless you're planning on having a 300 gallon aquarium sometime in the future to put it in, avoid this one like the plague!

Many people keep the smaller Doradids without too many problems - however, netting them is a bad idea, and getting your fingers stuck between the body and the pectorals is a VERY bad idea, as that will trigger the fish's defensive reaction!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002