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Encyclopedia / Tetras / Congo tetra
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Variations

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Congo tetra

Phenacogrammus interruptus · Congo

Peaceful but skittish; needs open swimming space and calm tankmates.

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8 cmAdult size ✓
23–28 °CTemperature ✓
6–7.5pH ✓
108 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Black skirt tetra nips fins, and Congo tetra has long fins.
Not recommended
  • Serpae tetra nips fins, and Congo tetra has long fins.
Not recommended
  • Tiger barb nips fins, and Congo tetra has long fins.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 23–24 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.5.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

367 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓3–18 dGH
Group size ✓6 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Middle
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful but skittish; needs open swimming space and calm tankmates.

Food

Flakes, pellets, frozen foods, some plant matter.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Male Congo tetra
Male
Female Congo tetra
Female

Males are larger and much more colourful, with extended tail filaments and a greatly extended dorsal fin.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Moderate

Egg scatterer; eggs take about 6 days to hatch. Breeding is not easy but possible.

Pairing

Buy a group of 6 or more and let them pair up. Males are larger and more colorful.

Setup

80-120 L tank with soft water, mops or fine plants, and dim light. They need space.

What starts it

Soft acid water, warm temperature and plenty of live food.

Eggs

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.

Raising the fry

Feed infusoria, then baby brine shrimp and microworms. Fry grow slowly and need a lot of food. Keep water clean and separate by size.

Common mistakes
  • Tank too small
  • Hard water
  • Wild-caught stress
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionCongo River basin – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Rivers and lakesCongo basin, including the Malebo (Stanley) Pool area
HabitatMurky, slow sections of large rivers and tributaries
Native rangeAbout 500 km across
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The story of the congo tetra

An African tetra from the Congo River basin, described by Boulenger in 1899, with iridescent rainbow scales. Males grow much larger, more colourful fins, with long tail filaments and an extended dorsal fin.

Boulenger described the Congo tetra in 1899 from the Congo basin. It belongs to the African tetra family, not the South American one. Its shimmering rainbow scales and long, feathery fins in males made it a showpiece fish in the hobby.

First described by George A. Boulenger in 1899.

  • Males grow long, frilly tail extensions; females stay smaller and plainer.
  • African tetras like this one form their own family, the Alestidae.
  • It scatters eggs that take several days to hatch, unusually long for a tetra.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources