Costello Tetra
Hemigrammus hyanuary
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 4 cm
- Minimum tank
- 87 litres
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
Species profile
Congo Tetra
Phenacogrammus interruptus
Common names: Congo Tetra
Recognized speciesTetras
Adult size
Up to 8 cm
Typical adult length 7–8 cm.
Up to 8 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A long, peaceful community aquarium
- A keeper who wants a striking centrepiece shoal
- Medium-sized, calm tankmates
Think carefully if
- Your tank has fin nippers
- You can keep only a few fish
- Your aquarium is short
A large, iridescent African tetra whose males grow flowing fins. It is peaceful but easily frightened, and it needs a long aquarium and a good-sized shoal.
Appearance and Identification
A long, deep body with iridescent blue, gold, and orange bands that shift with the light. Males have long, feathery fins and tail filaments.
This is an African tetra, not related closely to South American tetras. Its size and long-finned males set it apart.
Males are larger and more colourful, with extended caudal filaments and a greatly extended dorsal fin.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 440–550 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 100–175 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 110 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 120 cm
- Minimum group size
- 6
- Recommended group size
- 8
- Activity level
- Active
- Flow preference
- Moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Provide long swimming lanes with planted edges and dark substrate, which shows off the colour. A lid helps because a startled group may jump.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Peaceful but shy, gaining confidence and colour in a good-sized group.
Keep in a mixed-sex shoal.
Not territorial, although males display to each other.
Good with peaceful fish of medium size, including corydoras, larger tetras, and calm cichlids. Avoid fin-nipping and boisterous tankmates.
Water Parameters
Soft to moderately hard water is suitable. Breeding needs softer, slightly acidic water.
Parameter caveat
Acclimate slowly. Without numbers, this fish becomes shy and easily frightened.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Insectivore, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Once or twice daily
- Preferred foods
- Quality flake or small granulesUse as the daily staple, choosing a size every fish in the group can manage.
- Frozen bloodworm, daphnia, or brine shrimpRotate these a few times a week to improve condition and colour.
- Spirulina or vegetable flakeAdds plant matter that a meat-heavy diet lacks.
An omnivore that readily takes prepared foods and benefits from live and frozen foods.
Live and frozen foods help condition this fish and improve its colour.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Egg Scatterer
- Breeding difficulty
- Difficult
- Brood or egg count
- Often several hundred eggs
- Incubation
- 6 days
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- Infusoria or parameciumNeeded for the first days after fry become free-swimming, because the fry are very small.
- Fine powdered fry foodUse sparingly as a supplement, and siphon out anything left uneaten.
- Newly hatched brine shrimpIntroduce once the fry are large enough to swallow it, usually after several days.
- MicrowormsA useful next step for fry that are still too small for brine shrimp.
An egg-scatterer that is difficult but possible to breed. Condition with live and frozen food, use a mesh-based spawning tank with plants, and keep the water soft and slightly acidic. Eggs hatch in about 6 days.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo
- Natural habitat
- Freshwater River, Slow River
- Aquarium contexts
- Large Aquarium, Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Intermediate
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Phenacogrammus
- Family
- Alestidae
- Species group
- Fish, Tetras
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Crystal Red Tetra
Megalamphodus haraldschultzi
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 2.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 20–28 °C
Dawn Tetra
Aphyocharax nattereri
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C
Diamond Neon Tetra
Paracheirodon innesi var. "Blue Diamond"
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 21–25 °C