Krieg's tetra

Serrapinnus kriegi

Also known as Kriegi tetra

FreshwaterFish

Krieg's tetra (Serrapinnus kriegi) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–79°F (20–26°C)
pH: 5.5–7.2
Adult size: 0.9 in (2.4 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Paraguay basin, Paraguay and Brazil
Family: Characidae

Overview

Krieg's tetra is a tiny subtropical schooling fish that looks modest alone but becomes a moving display in a group of twenty or more. It swims in the middle of the water, is completely peaceful, and suits a calm nano or planted community with other small, gentle fish such as micro rasboras, small tetras, and pygmy corydoras. Because it comes from cooler subtropical water, it can be kept in an unheated room in many climates. Feed very small foods: fine flake, crushed micro pellets, cyclops, microworm, and baby brine shrimp. A group is comfortable in around 40 liters or more with dense planting.

In the wild

Serrapinnus kriegi lives in weedy, slow-moving and still waters of the Paraguay River basin across Paraguay, Argentina, and neighboring areas, among dense vegetation, leaf litter, and submerged wood. These subtropical waters cool in winter, so a range of 20 to 26 degrees Celsius suits it, with pH 5.5 to 7.2 and soft to moderate hardness. Fill the tank with fine-leaved plants and give it gentle flow and clean, stable water.

Good to know

Serrapinnus kriegi is a miniature member of the Cheirodontinae within the characin family Characidae, described by Schindler in 1937 and reaching only about 2.4 centimeters. It shows a wedge of gold at the base of the tail. Males of this group carry small hooks on the anal fin used as contact organs when pairing, and while it is an egg-laying species, home breeding is not formally recorded.

Did you know

It comes from subtropical waters that cool through winter, so in many homes it thrives with no heater at all, one of the cheapest ways into keeping South American micro fish.