Congo Tetra

[nellie_nospu]

Hi,
Saw some gorgeous fish in lfs at the weekend. Google images showed them to be congo tetras (there were a few species names on the tank's label!).
Questions:
1) What's the rough adult size? Various sites say 2.5 inches, 3 inches, 10cm...!
2) Depending on the answer above, are they suitable for a community tank currently inhabited by a handful of neons and platies?
3) Any special requirements e.g. shoals of a certain size, more females to males, etc etc?

Thanks in advance!

 

[smithrc]

Hi,
Saw some gorgeous fish in lfs at the weekend. Google images showed them to be congo tetras (there were a few species names on the tank's label!).
Questions:
1) What's the rough adult size? Various sites say 2.5 inches, 3 inches, 10cm...!
2) Depending on the answer above, are they suitable for a community tank currently inhabited by a handful of neons and platies?
3) Any special requirements e.g. shoals of a certain size, more females to males, etc etc?

Thanks in advance!

what size tank do you have?
They are very active swimmers and I wouldn't recommended them for a tank less than 4ft long

Other than that they are fine as a community fish
3" body length (with the tail on top) is a good adult size.
we have 10 - 50/50 ratio (but more females than males is a better idea as males can get possessive)

Here are a few of ours...

 

[stang1]

I agree with Smithrc about not keeping them in anything less than a 4ft tank. Ours are about 3" at the moment and make full use of the 5ft tank they are in.
They aren't aggressive so should be fine with your Neons although I have read that they are best kept with similar size fish.

 

[nellie_nospu]

Lovely picture!
My problem is that although the tank is large, it's tall and skinny rather than a standard long tank. My long tank is currently inhabited by a pair of rats (not in water lol )

Erm I'll try to find a picture of it.... But in that case probably not suitable. Shame

ETA: http/cache.webfirst.us/images/1229-300x6...l_aquariums.jpg the third from the left is about right size-wise, possibly mine is a little shorter.

 

[Lateral Line]

Impossible to put Congo's in that. Frankly, you are going to have trouble stocking and maintaining that. Very small surface area relative to the water volume, limited gas exchange unless you have some serious filtration on it, which is going to create currents that a lot of typical trops aren't going to like at all. Also going to be a nightmare to light.

 

[nellie_nospu]

Frankly, you are going to have trouble stocking and maintaining that. Very small surface area relative to the water volume, limited gas exchange unless you have some serious filtration on it,

I know it's far from ideal My filter has a "Venturi" attachment which allegedly increases oxygenation. Looks like a bit of tubing to me lol. I've got some plants that do well in low lighting ( possibly amazon something-or-other). I was working on the basis that numerous little fish would be happier than a couple of big fish; these Congo tetras just caught my eye lol. So all I need to do is swap the rats to another cage, reseal that tank......