Can pictus catfish live with serpae tetras?

Verdict

No. Pictus catfish and serpae tetras should not share a tank. An adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.75 inches serpae tetras do.

Pictus catfish72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

Serpae tetra72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.75 inches serpae tetras do.

What works

Both are fine at 72–79°F.
pH 6–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: pictus catfish the bottom, serpae tetras the mid.

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

	Pictus catfish	Serpae tetra
Temperature	72–79 °F	72–79 °F
pH	6–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	5.0 in	1.75 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	20 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 3+	Groups of 6+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for pictus catfish

All pictus catfish tank mates

Better tank mates for serpae tetras

All serpae tetra tank mates

Questions

Can pictus catfish live with serpae tetras?

No. Pictus catfish and serpae tetras should not share a tank. An adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.75 inches serpae tetras do.

What temperature suits both pictus catfish and serpae tetras?

72–79 °F. Pictus catfish need 72–79 °F, serpae tetras need 72–79 °F.

What size tank do pictus catfish and serpae tetras need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the pictus catfish. Add space for each extra fish.