Any one have Congo Tetra?

[Natrualbeauty22]

Please post some of your experiences with them. I think I would like to get some.


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[dalto]

I have had them in the best. Relatively undemanding. Need a decent size tank, I would say 4ft. They grow slow but get really pretty as they get older.

 

[HN1]

We kept congos for a few years. I never saw them slow down. They grow rather large and full bodied for a tetra. Definitely agree with 4' tank minimum. They are uber active and voracious eaters. Very fun fish.

 

[Natrualbeauty22]

Thanks for your insight!


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[Natrualbeauty22]

I have a 55 gal tank


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[Wiggles24]

They are awesome fish! You will have no idea how beautiful they are until they are full grown. Ime nobody dares mess with them. Although they are peaceful they have some seriously gnarly teeth! I really want to get a couple more

 

[fishliker]

I have 8 in a 55 gallon tank. As others have said, they are beautiful, large, about 3-4 inches and are still growing. They get rowdy at feeding time. They are not aggressive with any other fish. However, I would consider what other fish you have in the tank. For instance, I have 3 pearl gourami in with them and the gourami are more slow moving and are intimated by the congos and they hide at times. I have put lots of plants in there, even floating ones, and that has helped. Also, if you have any slower eating bottom fish, the congos will quickly pick up sinking pellets from the tank floor and swim off with them. The congos swim fast and race around the tank all day.


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[Linwood]

We had 5 in a 45G tank with two angels and 5 serpae tetra. They didn't fight, but they were such aggressive eaters, and so fast, the serpae barely got any food. The angels were OK, they are pretty aggressive also.

We got a new 220G and decided to get 10 more congos and now have a school of 15 of various sizes. They look great, and are always very active and swimming. It's almost scary when I put food in how they swarm, I'm glad they don't have teeth. We have only put angels in there with them so far, and anything else will have to be a bit tough. No sign of fighting with other fish, but they are just such fast, pushy eaters I would not recommend them with milder fish that are fed at the same time (they are fine for example with our plecos and otos).

They are really gorgeous fish. I'd agree that 4' is a good minimum, they do swim back and forth and forth and back continuously.

 

[Fishobsessed7]

We had 5 in a 45G tank with two angels and 5 serpae tetra. They didn't fight, but they were such aggressive eaters, and so fast, the serpae barely got any food. The angels were OK, they are pretty aggressive also.

We got a new 220G and decided to get 10 more congos and now have a school of 15 of various sizes. They look great, and are always very active and swimming. It's almost scary when I put food in how they swarm, I'm glad they don't have teeth. We have only put angels in there with them so far, and anything else will have to be a bit tough. No sign of fighting with other fish, but they are just such fast, pushy eaters I would not recommend them with milder fish that are fed at the same time (they are fine for example with our plecos and otos).

They are really gorgeous fish. I'd agree that 4' is a good minimum, they do swim back and forth and forth and back continuously.

Maybe you should put some of the larger rainbow fish with them


Fishobsessed7

 

[Natrualbeauty22]

I have a 55 gal wall tank I'm not even close to setting up yet. I plan on making it a natural looking planted. I'm only in the planning stages right now. I have been pondering the stocking and have decided I 'd really like the Congos as my mid level fish. My stock list so far was like this

Cardinal tetra
Rummy nose tetra
blue Gorami (up for debate now)
Congo tetra
Oto
Cory

Do you think these are compatible with the Congos?


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[sinibotia]

I had a dozen of them in a 150, they were great. VERY active. They certainly kept things interesting in the center of the tank especially when most of the other fish were bottom dwellers.

 

[Wiggles24]

We had 5 in a 45G tank with two angels and 5 serpae tetra. They didn't fight, but they were such aggressive eaters, and so fast, the serpae barely got any food. The angels were OK, they are pretty aggressive also.

We got a new 220G and decided to get 10 more congos and now have a school of 15 of various sizes. They look great, and are always very active and swimming. It's almost scary when I put food in how they swarm, I'm glad they don't have teeth. We have only put angels in there with them so far, and anything else will have to be a bit tough. No sign of fighting with other fish, but they are just such fast, pushy eaters I would not recommend them with milder fish that are fed at the same time (they are fine for example with our plecos and otos).

They are really gorgeous fish. I'd agree that 4' is a good minimum, they do swim back and forth and forth and back continuously.

Um yeah....my congos have some monstrous teeth! Especially my largest male!

 

[fishliker]

I think the congos would look terrific in your tank! As for gourami, I've only had honeys and pearls and I wouldn't recommend those. I don't know about larger ones, but have read the gourami don't enjoy being in with zippy fish. According to aqadvisor, my tank is 85 percent stocked, but it looks full. Besides the congos and gourami I have 6 smaller tetras and kuhli loaches. Good luck! Isn't it fun to plan things out ahead of time.


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[Natrualbeauty22]

Thanks so much for the advice! Ya, it is nice to plan it out but I know there will be snags along the way. that's why I'm glad I found this site!


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[Natrualbeauty22]

I like the look of there teeth it makes them look important lol!


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[HN1]

I wouldn't recommend keeping congos in a 55. The other fish will be fine properly stocked.

 

[Natrualbeauty22]

Why do they need more room?


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[Linwood]

I wouldn't recommend keeping congos in a 55. The other fish will be fine properly stocked.

Mine seemed fine in that size tank, but a small tank and gentle fish combined with congos is probably not a good idea. My suggestion if you want congos (and I really do like them a lot) is treat them as taking 2-4 times as much "space" as a fish of the same size.

Mine never actually went after another fish, they are just bullies for space, for food. When they were together, after a week or two, the serpae tetra would not even go above about half-way to the surface during feeding, they just waited to see if any food would drop past the congos.

And mine lately have developed a taste for ghost shrimp. One will pull one loose from grass/rocks, and then the pack will tear it to shreds. The shrimp is FAR bigger than the congo mouth, so that old "if it fits int he mouth it gets eaten" is incomplete.

I throw in frozen bloodworm cubes still frozen, and they go nuts, pulling it apart as fast as it melts, I swear I could film cuts for a SciFi movie with it.

Fun fish. But give it room.

 

[Linwood]

PS. I tried to get a photo of the feeding frenzy and threw them a cube of bloodworms. It didn't last long enough for me to get the flash in position, so I took a couple closeups. The first is I think female, or younger, the second one of the males (or older) with more color.

Training them to pose for photos takes extra effort.

 

[Wiggles24]

I have never seen mine be aggressive towards another fish. Not even a nip. Although I only have similar sized fish in with them.