Gotta love the Congo Tetras……I sure do….that color, those fins.

[bgarthe50 67]

Tonight was a good night for getting decent pics of probably my favorite tropical fish….Phenacogrammus interruptus….Congo Tetra. I’ve enjoyed watching these guys mature. I know…..I said earlier I have my favorite top 5

 

[emeraldking29 80]

I still love those. For years ago I had a group of these but when I introduced the butterfly splitfins (moved from another tank to our community tank) to this tank, those Congos had a rough time. For the butterfly splitfins were nipping at their fins. So, I had to move those Congos. They ended up in a large community tank at an eldery home.

 

[Back in the fold5 2]

Oh wow ! Those are stunning pictures . They certainly are an exquisite fish !

 

[GaryE10 8]

I got mine for a very low price because they were really small. They've grown steadily and with a 50/50 ratio. You can get nice ones if you have patience, and I prefer to watch them as they turn beautiful adults. Mine are halfway there, having tripled their size.

If you have a tank where sunlight hits them even for a few minutes a day...

 

[Back in the fold5 2]

How big do they get ? If memory serves they are among the largest of any Tetra’s . Is that right ?

 

[bgarthe50 67]

I think they get to be abt 3-31/2” long which includes that incredibly long caudal fin. They are generally larger, but I believe there are larger species of tetras.

 

[Back in the fold5 2]

I think they get to be abt 3-31/2” long which includes that incredibly long caudal fin. They are generally larger, but I believe there are larger species of tetras.

Not only length but they appear to be a fat full bodied fish too .

 

[bgarthe50 67]

Indeed they are.

 

[bgarthe50 67]

Here both species (P. interruptus and aurantiacus) are swimming around.

 

[GO Yes ants ant ad fishy]

How big of a tank do they stay in?

 

[bgarthe50 67]

It’s a 75g tank w 12 P. interruptus (almost two years) and 7 P. aurantiacus (almost a year). Oh…there are 5 CoryCats (3 aneus and 2 paleatus) in there too.

I have two AC 110 Fluval HOBs w baffles, an air stone, and a 4g mini sump for more Biohome media and a Surf 2 Algae Scrubber by SantaMonica for nitrate reduction.

 

[bgarthe50 67]

Here is a close up vid of both……

 

[Tomsfish8 7]

They really do look great!
Good shoot also.
I could see their teeth in some shots.

 

[bgarthe50 67]

Thnx.

Yeh……if one looks at their teeth, they’re really pronounced and look menacing, but they don’t seem to use them like a piranha or something. I was amazed the first time I saw them.

 

[GaryE10 8]

I think the standard congo of the hobby is the prettiest, but it has rivals. Unfortunately, they all get large, anywhere from from 4 to 6 inches. There are many tetras several times that size, but not in the hobby much.

Some of these could only be identified by Ichthyologists who specialized in the region. They came in one shipment that no one bought, so we won't see them much again.

They were very long lived fish, and very hardy. Only auriantacus were touchy. If you ever see any for sale...I had them in 75s and those tanks were great ones. That said, the Phenacogrammus interuptus, standard Congos were stars.