Having started with freshwater tanks and African Cichlids, and now the king of all tanks, a full blown reef, I had the opportunity to experience and learn a lot about the myriad of tropical fish associated with the hobby. From working with small communities of fish like Tetras and Gouramis to much larger and aggressive species like Jack Dempsey’s, Firemouth and Green Terrors. However, one of them is the tropical characin, in particular, because many reef fish species can give a good value for money in terms of color and complexion. That Congo Tetra fish!
The Congo Tetra (Phennacogrammus interruptus) is found mainly in the Zaire region of Africa, where the Congo river basin is located. These characins reach a length of just four inches, but again the coloration combined with this tetra is phenomenal, to say the least, words do not do it justice. They have a large opalescent silvery body, with an iridescent color all over and the light, when it just touches this fish, stands out like a 100watt light bulb. Congo grouse usually grow long translucent fins, which also helps in the popularity of the fish and the value of the tag. It must also be pointed out that the Congo Tetra is one of the few Hail Tetras from Africa, as most of them are from South and Central America.
Congos will do best in a freshwater aquarium ie a 30 gallon tank or larger where they spend most of their time shooting back and forth within the confines of the pond. A few plants added together with some lava, or other suitable rocks and driftwood, will increase the ambiance, the environment and the eye appeal to the pool and allow the deer to find peace and spaces if needed. The plan is to house at least 4 Congo Tetras in a tank with community fish that are usually in skidish if they live alone.
The Congo male will have significantly better coloration and longer dorsal and caudal fins than the female. Breeding this grouse is not as easy as with its South and Central American cousins, but hope is on the horizon.
As far as the feed is concerned, the vegetable food must be characina mixed with some food, such as mysis and brine shrimp daphnia shrimp, tubifex and blood worms. Feeding them twice a day is enough to make sure you don’t overfeed, or risk spoiling your water quality. a> and allow harmful algae to develop! Flake and pellet foods can also be eaten, although more care should be taken since those forms of food are high in nitrates and phosphates due process whose food it became. Also, with the last two foods, be careful not to feed them as the flavor and texture quickly enter the water. , and in a short time your fish will no longer care for flake or pellet food.
Their peaceful mind is great for those who keep a community tropic tank with other grouse and other small docile fish. The only problem will be obvious with those who try to add larger fish that are usually more aggressive, such as Severus, Acara, Convict, Firemouth or any other type of cichlid. That is one way to force your Congo and possibly lead to their destruction!
All in all, these are very charming and beautiful community fish that have received numerous accolades and praises for this and the fact that they fit in with most other tropical communities. The ease of feeding and collecting are also a plus, when really the only downside to them is the price as they run you around $6.00-$10.00 a coin, which is expensive for a small tropical community, comparatively speaking.
This is one fish that I am sure many of you will agree with me on. It’s a really gorgeous fish that will set your tank apart from others and you’ll be glad you decided to buy these gems from Africa.
