Breeding the congo tetra
Egg scatterer; eggs take about 6 days to hatch. Breeding is not easy but possible.
Step by step
Buy a group of 6 or more and let them pair up. Males are larger and more colorful.
80-120 L tank with soft water, mops or fine plants, and dim light. They need space.
Soft acid water, warm temperature and plenty of live food.
A female lays up to about 300 large eggs (100-200 is more common), which sink to the bottom; they hatch in about 6 days.
Feed infusoria, then baby brine shrimp and microworms. Fry grow slowly and need a lot of food. Keep water clean and separate by size.
- Tank too small
- Hard water
- Wild-caught stress
Male or female
Males are larger and much more colourful, with extended tail filaments and a greatly extended dorsal fin.
Can I breed it in my tank?
- Use a separate small tank with a sponge filter and spawning mops, so the eggs aren't eaten.
- Good for a first breeding project.
Day-by-day plan
Typical for egg scatterers
- 14 days beforeCondition the parents
Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.
- Day 0Spawning
Eggs are scattered over mops or fine plants, often at first light. Remove the parents straight after.
- Day 1Eggs hatch
Most eggs hatch in 1–2 days. Keep the tank dim and remove white (fungused) eggs.
- Day 4Free swimming, first food
Fry use up the yolk and start swimming. Feed infusoria or liquid fry food several times a day.
- Day 8Baby brine shrimp
Switch to newly hatched brine shrimp or microworms. Start small, daily water changes.
- Day 21Crushed flake
Add finely crushed flake. Sort fry by size so the big ones don't eat the small ones.
- Day 60Ready to move
Most small fish reach about 2 cm in 2–3 months and can join the main tank.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Simulator: guided
Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.
Simulator: try it yourself
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
- Without live or frozen food the parents aren't in breeding condition.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.