Conga Tetra's Aggressive?

[angel face]

Hi


Just after some advice hope someone can help.

I have had my tank since march and up until two weeks ago all I had left in my set up was three male guppies and five neon tetras my tank had been like this for a good four months.

I decided that it was looking a bit sparse so went along to my LFS to buy a few more fish.

I brough two more male guppies which are different in appearance to my existing guppies and two conga tetras as I was advised that they would be quite compatible.

All has been fine for two or so weeks.

i got up on Monday to find the middle section of the body of one of my existing guppies floating on top of the tank dead and half of the tail of one of my other existing guppies missing.

This morning got up to find my last existing guppy minus his tail and struggling to get about needless to say i put the poor fellow out of his misery as he didnt look as though he was going to survive for much longer. My two new guppies that I brought at the same time as the congas are untouched.

I felt sure the culprits were my conga tetras as I have seen them chasing the guppie i have left with half his tail. They also seem to have got really territorial recently snatching all the food and swimming around the tank like they own it.

I decided to take them back to my LFS and exchanged for another five male guppies. All i have left now are male guppies and neons. This afternoon i did spot one of my guppies that i brought at the same time as the congas chasing around the existing guppie with half a tail. I am now wondering whether I did the right thing in taking them back and whether it might have been one of the new guppies that was the culprit.

what do you think and has anyone else had this problem before?

Just worried that I will get up tomorrow and my existing guppie will have been attacked and killed too, its been terrible

Any advice greatly appreciated

many thanks

Angel Face

i am wondering now whether the congas were the

 

[angel face]

hi

just bringing this back to the top - anyone got any ideas or had this happen before.

Thanks

Angel face

 

[basia]

I have conga tetras and they have been responsible for a couple of fishy deaths in my tank. They don't actually attack the other fish but they swim around very fast, especially at feeding time or when 2 males are scrapping and they hit the other fish side on.

 

[Elly]

I think part of the problem, if the congo tetras were the culprit, is the fact that you only had two. They are shoaling fish so need a group of at least 6 to feel secure, otherwise they are more likely to be aggressive. Congo tetra do nip fins, often at feeding time - I have a group (so far 4 but I'm waiting a couple of weeks to see how they get on before getting another 2) but mostly they nip each other during feeding rather than any other fish, probably because they're in a small shoal. You could try this if you want to get congo tetra again (and I think you should - such beautiful fish!)

Re: the guppies, I've had similar problems where I've bought a group of males and many have died with bits of their tails missing. Perhaps the males are nipping each other's fins, maybe you should get a few females (1 for every 2-3 males) to distract them - your neons will probably eat any babies they have. Just a thought.

 

[angel face]

Hi

Well got up this morning and my little guppie with half the tale is still alive and not been attacked anymore i can only think that it must have been the conga tetras. at least i managed to take them back to the shop before they killed him too. It is a shame as they are beautiful fish.

Thanks to all who posted

Angel Face

 

[rixy]

lots of fish(congos included) are much happier in a group.i have kept congo tetras and had a group of 10.i kept them with 10 rainbows and 7 corys.all of the fish had fantastic colouration and all got on very well.

 

[Gizzim101]

I have seven congos in a 125 gal community tank an have witnessed them chase guppies an brutally attack a zebra Danio. I did not think they were like that but... My tank is only at 20% stock level so they are not crowded at all. Hope this helps someone.

 

[fluttermoth]

I have seven congos in a 125 gal community tank an have witnessed them chase guppies an brutally attack a zebra Danio. I did not think they were like that but... My tank is only at 20% stock level so they are not crowded at all. Hope this helps someone.

Wow, ancient thread revival!

to the forum, Gizzim.

Congos can be nasty; I have about twelve in a 200l and have just had to remove my angel as the Congos were nipping him quite badly

 

[westmidsgal]

I have seen some congo tetras today and fell in love with them . got home to decide to read upon them before I buy some
so glad I have if there bullies towards other fish .
I have 110ltr tank with tetras in already so would I be able to have some congo or not you reckon? other fish are platties
mollies neon tetras penguin tetras but also have loads of new fry . so would congo ear the fry?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I have seen some congo tetras today and fell in love with them . got home to decide to read upon them before I buy some
so glad I have if there bullies towards other fish .
I have 110ltr tank with tetras in already so would I be able to have some congo or not you reckon? other fish are platties
mollies neon tetras penguin tetras but also have loads of new fry . so would congo ear the fry?

A group of six Congo Tetra would be a vast majority of the stocking capacity of a small volume 4-foot tank like my 120x30x37cm (140l), adults are pretty big fish reaching ~10cm SL, some keepers have been known to have males grow to 12cm SL.

 

[westmidsgal]

oh ok . think I'll give them a miss then thanks

 

[Liam2368]

When adults the teeth congos are very impressive.

 

[Gilli]

Always a good idea to read up on the fish before buying on impulse!
 
Could just be that the guppies are weak. I have never had luck with them - they always have their tails disintegrate for no reason and die- sometimes immediately after buying and sometimes 6 months down the line for no reason. Bearing in mind most fish shops are very hit and miss on water stats they must lose them by the million! Guppies these days are very weak from overbreeding so as beautiful as they are i dont bother with them now.

 

[clarkey250]

I bought 2 Congo Tetras a couple of weeks ago, and when I asked the staff at the LFS about their compatibility in a community tank they advised they are fine. Anyway, things were good for about 2-3 weeks, but today I added some more Guppies and about 5 minutes later one of the Congo's had half of one of the Guppy's in its mouth. By the time I got my net out to try isolate the offending fish, only the front half of the victim guppy was left.  
 
Not quite sure why this has only just happened as I did have some Guppies in the tank prior to this and they seemed fine.  
 
After the above attack I have watched the Congo's closely, and they do appear to be quite aggressive to the other fish, both at feeding times and at all other times. Maybe it is because I only have 2, but to be honest I would rather not have any fish in my tank that can eat the others so I will be returning them to the LFS. Its a shame really because they are quite colourful and add a bit of character to the tank.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Congo Tetras are not aggressive fish in the grand scheme of fishkeeping, but a "golden rule" is never combine fish in a tank where one can be swallowed whole by another, the odds are that at some point the worst will happen!
 
The other thing to bare in mind is like a lot of social species, when kept in insufficient numbers, they are more likely to be fiesty with each other and tankmates. Minimums of six are often talked about for schooling fish, but they behave so differently in 10+ numbers, my 21(?) Pareutropius cf. mandevillei (the smallest member of the "Debauwi Catfish" group) are great to watch.
 
With the right tankmates, Congo Tetras are great fish, they are the classic choice as dithers for "African oddball" tanks with African Butterfly Fish; Leopard Bushfish; a school of Synodontis nigriventris etc. (all fish that are chunky ~7-14cm species as adults, with the tetras somewhere in the middle).