The Congo Tetra, Phenacogrammus interruptus, sometimes also called the Blue Congo Tetra, is the only one of the approximately 350 tetra species in Africa that is always available in pet shops. This is of course due to its beautiful colouring, which shimmers differently on the flanks depending on the incidence of light, the reddish-brown back, and the long fins of the males. Nowadays, almost all Congo Tetras are bred ones, one of the breeding centres is Indonesia.
The peaceful animals should always be kept in a group of at least eight or more individuals. The sex ratio is not important, but there should be at least two males, because the males display against each other and encourage courtship. So if you only have one male in the tank, you miss this wonderful spectacle.
The Congo Tetra become sexually mature with a length of approximately 4-5 cm, they can become almost twice as big, however, and with each centimeter, the animals become more splendid. Congo Tetras are therefore kept in an aquarium as large as possible, where they can grow into splendid specimens.
In nature, Congo Tetras are mainly insectivores that feed on small flies etc. that fall from the air onto the water surface. In the aquarium, Congo Tetras are greedy eaters, who readily accept any commercial ornamental fish food, be it flakes, granules, frozen or live food. Plants are not harmed. Any drinking water is suitable for maintenance, but males develop much more elongated fins in slightly acidic water (pH 6 – 6.5) than in slightly alkaline water with pH above 7.5.
For our customers: the animals have code 159304 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
