TankBud

Piaba tetra

Serrapinnus piaba

Also known as Malinowski tetra

FreshwaterFish

Piaba tetra (Serrapinnus piaba)
Nathalia Kaluana Rodrigues da Costa, Roney Emanuel Costa de Paiva, Márcio Joaquim da Silva, Telton Pedro Anselmo Ramos, Sergio Maia Queiroz Lima · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
5.5–7.2
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg layer
Rarity
Rare
Family
Characidae
Origin
São Francisco and eastern Brazilian drainages

Overview

The Piaba tetra is a small silver schooling fish that asks for little except company. It suits a calm community or a planted nano tank, and it is a good next step after beginner fish.

Did you know

Piaba is an everyday Brazilian word for any small river fish. When Lutken described the Piaba tetra in 1875, he simply turned the local slang into its formal Latin name.

Caring for the Piaba tetra

Keep Piaba tetras in a group of at least ten, in 11 gal (40 L) or more. Give them a densely planted tank with some open swimming room and gentle flow. Keep the water clean with regular changes.

Piaba tetras are undemanding about water. They do well at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.2, with soft to moderate hardness. Feed small foods such as fine flake, crushed micro pellets, cyclops, microworm and baby brine shrimp.

Piaba tetras are completely peaceful and swim in the middle of the water. They are good company for other small, gentle fish, such as micro rasboras, small tetras and pygmy corydoras.

Males carry tiny hooks on the anal fin that act as holdfasts during pairing. Piaba tetras lay eggs, but aquarium breeding is not on record.

Good to know

The Piaba tetra, Serrapinnus piaba, is a small cheirodontine characin in the family Characidae. It was first described as Chirodon piaba.

In the wild

The Piaba tetra is common in weedy, slow and still waters of the Sao Francisco and other eastern Brazilian drainages. It lives among plants and along quiet margins.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Piaba tetra is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Piaba tetra need?

A Piaba tetra needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Piaba tetra need?

A Piaba tetra is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.2.

What does a Piaba tetra eat?

A Piaba tetra eats small foods, such as fine flake, crushed micro pellets, cyclops, microworm and baby brine shrimp.

How big does a Piaba tetra get?

An adult Piaba tetra reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

Does a Piaba tetra need a group?

Yes. A Piaba tetra is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male Piaba tetra from a female?

Males carry tiny hooks on the anal fin, which act as holdfasts during pairing.

How does a Piaba tetra breed?

Piaba tetras lay eggs, and the male's anal-fin hooks act as holdfasts during pairing. Aquarium breeding is not on record.

Related species