TankmateChecker

Can serpae tetras live with elephant nose fish?

Verdict

No

No. Serpae tetras and elephant nose fish should not share a tank. At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1.75-inch serpae tetra whole.

Serpae tetra

Serpae tetra72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

Elephant nose fish

Elephant nose fish73–82°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAt 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1.75-inch serpae tetra whole.
Watch outSerpae tetras nip at slow fish. Elephant nose fish cannot get away.

What works

Both are fine at 73–79°F.
pH 6–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: serpae tetras the mid, elephant nose fish the bottom.

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

	Serpae tetra	Elephant nose fish
Temperature	72–79 °F	73–82 °F
pH	6–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	1.75 in	9.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Groups of 6+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Omnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for serpae tetras

All serpae tetra tank mates

Better tank mates for elephant nose fish

All elephant nose fish tank mates

Questions

Can serpae tetras live with elephant nose fish?

No. Serpae tetras and elephant nose fish should not share a tank. At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1.75-inch serpae tetra whole.

What temperature suits both serpae tetras and elephant nose fish?

73–79 °F. Serpae tetras need 72–79 °F, elephant nose fish need 73–82 °F.

What size tank do serpae tetras and elephant nose fish need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the elephant nose fish. Add space for each extra fish.