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Encyclopedia / Tetras / Yellow-tailed Congo tetra
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Variations

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Yellow-tailed Congo tetra

Alestopetersius caudalis · Yellow congo, Yellow-tailed congo

Peaceful school fish.

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6.2 cmAdult size ✓
22–26 °CTemperature ✓
6–7.5pH ✓
108 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Yellow-tailed Congo tetra is tropical.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Yellow-tailed Congo tetra only grows to 6.2 cm.
Not recommended
  • Oscar eats animals up to about 12 cm. Yellow-tailed Congo tetra only grows to 6.2 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.5.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

366 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 ✓2–15 dGH
Group size ✓8 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Middle
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 4–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful school fish.

Food

Flakes and frozen foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Adult males are more colourful and grow larger, with extended, white-tipped dorsal, ventral, anal and tail fins (including extended central tail rays) that females lack.

Health

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

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Moderate

An egg scatterer with no parental care, rarely bred in the hobby. One method is to keep a group in their own tank with an egg trap, collect the eggs and hatch them separately; fry take microscopic foods, then Artemia nauplii.

Pairing

Keep a group of 8-10 and move a well-conditioned trio or group to a spawning tank.

Setup

30-40 L tank with a spawning grid or dense java moss, soft to medium water (pH 6-7.5), a sponge filter and subdued light.

What starts it

Heavy live-food conditioning, then a water change with slightly cooler water in the morning.

Eggs

100-300 eggs

Raising the fry

Start with infusoria or powdered fry food, then newly hatched brine shrimp; sort by size as they grow.

Common mistakes
  • Leaving adults with the eggs
  • Poor conditioning of the parents
  • Overfeeding the fry tank
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionAfrica – lower Congo basin (DR Congo & Republic of Congo)
Rivers and lakesLower Congo River
HabitatSlow forest streams
Native rangeAbout 400 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the yellow-tailed congo tetra

A peaceful African tetra from the lower and middle Congo basin; the male has a yellow-orange tail with extended central rays, and the dark side stripe broadens on the tail fin.

George Albert Boulenger described this African tetra in 1899. Its yellow-and-black tail gives it its common name, and it is a smaller relative of the Congo tetra. It is a peaceful schooling fish.

First described by George A. Boulenger in 1899. Named for 'caudalis' refers to its tail.

  • Its tail is yellow with black markings.
  • It is related to the better-known Congo tetra.
  • It is a peaceful schooling fish.

Sources

14 facts checked with sources