Can jack dempseys live with serpae tetras?

Verdict

No. Jack dempseys and serpae tetras should not share a tank. An adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.75 inches serpae tetras do.

Jack Dempsey72–86°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Serpae tetra72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.75 inches serpae tetras do.
Deal breakerJack dempseys are aggressive and much bigger than serpae tetras.

What works

Both are fine at 72–79°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Jack Dempsey	Serpae tetra
Temperature	72–86 °F	72–79 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	10.0 in	1.75 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	20 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Middle	Middle
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 6+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for jack dempseys

CrayfishYes

All jack dempsey tank mates

Better tank mates for serpae tetras

All serpae tetra tank mates

Questions

Can jack dempseys live with serpae tetras?

No. Jack dempseys and serpae tetras should not share a tank. An adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.75 inches serpae tetras do.

What temperature suits both jack dempseys and serpae tetras?

72–79 °F. Jack dempseys need 72–86 °F, serpae tetras need 72–79 °F.

What size tank do jack dempseys and serpae tetras need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the jack dempsey. Add space for each extra fish.