The Congo tetra is a medium to large schooling fish originating in the Congo River drainage in the Democratic Republic of Congo . Most of the fish available in the aquarium trade are bred commercially in the Far East and Eastern Europe.  The Congo tetra has a typical full-bodied tetra shape with rather large scales and grows to an adult size of 2.5 to 3.2 inches long.   When mature, the iridescent colors of the Congo tetra run through the fish from front to back, starting with blue on top changing to reddish through the middle, to yellow-gold, and back to blue just above the belly. It has a distinctive tail fin, which develops into a beautiful gray/violet feathery appendage with white edges.  The male is larger with more color and a much more extended tail and dorsal fin.  An adult male Congo tetra is a truly striking fish.  There is also an albino strain available.

The Congo tetra should be maintained in an aquarium of 29 gallons or larger for young fish and 55 gallons or larger for adults, as it is a schooling fish and should be kept in groups.  If possible try to obtain a mixed-sex group of at least 8 to 10 individuals.  An ideal setup would be an African biotope tank with driftwood branches(ZM2000) , floating vegetation and anubias plants. However they will show their best colors in any well-planted setup with plenty of swimming space and good circulation. A dark colored substrate of variably-sized rocks (CS7548), sand (CS7538), fine gravel (CS7547), and some larger water-worn boulders with plenty of live plants will show off this fish quite nicely.

The Congo tetra is an fairly adaptable fish. It prefers a temperature of 73°F to 82°F, a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, and a hardness of 3 to 18°H.  Moderate values will allow them to be kept with the widest variety of tank mates.

The Congo tetra is peaceful but may scare shy species with its active swimming and large adult size. Despite this it is recommended for most community aquariums. Ideal tank mates include other tetras, rainbowfish, Corydoras, Loricariids, Synodontis and various peaceful cichlids such as kribensis, dwarf tinanti, and buffalo heads. Do not keep Congo tetras with fin-nipping species as the spectacular fins of the males will be destroyed. Similarly they should not be kept with boisterous tank mates due to their shy nature. Congo tetras should be kept in a mixed-sex school for the best effect.

The Congo tetra is an omnivore feeding on small worms, insects, crustaceans, algae and other zooplankton in nature. It is relatively unfussy and will accept most foods but live and frozen food should compose a good portion of it's diet in order for the fish to show the best coloration and finnage. For the best condition and color, offer regular meals of small live and frozen foods such as black worms, blood worms (SF4791), daphnia, and brine shrimp (SF6778) along with good quality dried flakes (OSI4010) and granules (NL1012).

Female

Male

Albino