Phenacogrammus interruptus
Congo Tetra
Native Location: River Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo
Climate: Tropical
Maximum Size: Males can reach 3.2″ (8cm), while females up to 2.4″ (6cm).
Temperament: Community friendly, as adults they can be boisterous.
Diet: Omnivorous, readily accept most foods
Breeding: Challenging
Temperature Range: 73-82°F (23-28°C)
Preferred pH Range: 6.0-7.5
Minimum Aquarium size: For a group of adult fish and aquarium with a minimum size of 48″ x 12″ x 12″ (120x30x30cm).
Potential Tank mates: Rainbowfish, Corydoras, Scissortail tetras, Plecos and synodontis.
Care Level: Easy
The Congo Tetra are often overlooked as shoaling fish due to their adult size however, added to the correct aquarium, they are very nice. With shades of blue and rusty gold, when they swim together, they really put on a show.
Endemic to the Congo River, they are the perfect shoaling fish species for a heavily planted setup. We advise providing a good level of circulation, dark substrate and lots of long leaf plants such as twisted Vallisneria, Amazon Swords and larger species of Anubias. The will swim around the middle area of your aquarium providing a constant dash of colour in contrast to the backdrop of the plants.
As with most Tetra species, the Congo Tetra are not fussy eaters. Natural Omnivores and happy to eat a mixture of live foods (daphnia, brine shrimp etc), dry foods with quality ingredients and frozen foods like bloodworm etc all provide a balanced diet.
Breeding these Tetra is challenging but not impossible. They are egg scatterers and a suitable breeding tank should be provided. Add your potential pair (most colourful male and chunkiest female) to a small aquarium with a few plants and a mesh base. The mesh base will allow for eggs to fall through. Increase their live foods, raise the temperature slightly and reduce the lighting to condition the fish. When spawning takes place, the fertilised eggs will drop down onto the plant leaves. It is common for a portion of the eggs to become covered in fungus. Every attempt should be made to remove these asap. Your fry should become fully free swimming after about 6 days and at that point the best food source is Infusoria.
Photo is of a male
