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– Caring for EggsĬongo Tetra eggs take around 5-8 days to hatch after spawning, unlike their South American relatives, whose eggs hatch in a much shorter time frame. They can lay as many as 500 eggs in a single breeding session. Remove the breeders immediately after the eggs have been laid. Once they have been properly conditioned for breeding, the female Tetra lays her eggs at the base of the Java moss or on the spawning mops, which provide extra protection for the eggs. The reduced lighting should be maintained for at least 8 hours prior to spawning. LightingĬongo Tetras prefer to spawn in dark areas, so you should reduce the amount of light entering their breeding tank. Filtration and Aeration RequirementsĪvoid aeration and filtration in the breeding tank as it can disturb the peat moss substrate at the bottom of the water and make the water cloudy. The recommended water temperature for breeding Congo Tetra is 77℉. The perfect breeding tank for them should have enough boiled peat moss covering the bottom, reverse osmosis, and several Java moss atop the peat moss. We recommend that you use a 15 to 20-gallon long tank for breeding. You will need an even bigger tank than most tetras to breed the Congo Tetra because they produce many eggs and grow rapidly. We have listed all that you’ll need to put in place the Congo Tetra care to successfully breed your Congo Tetra fish. Their fins are not as extended and fanciful as those of the male Congo Tetra. In males, the caudal fin is longer, and the dorsal fin is more pronounced.įemale Congo Tetras, on the other hand, are mainly golden with shades of silver and green. The male, for one, is much more colorful than the female Congo Tetra and has a much larger fin structure.
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– Sexual DimorphismĬongo Tetras show slight differences between the sexes by knowing what to look out for, you can distinguish the males from the females quite easily. In addition, they had fish with great genetics and a proper diet. When we studied these aquarists, we found one thing in common, they all raised their fish in tanks far bigger than the minimum tank size recommended. In rare cases, some aquarists have been able to raise Congo Tetras longer than the 3 to 3.5 inches benchmark in captivity. However, in the wild, they can grow longer by almost an inch (4.5 inches). The average Congo Tetra size is around 3 to 3.5 inches in captivity. – SizeĬongo Tetras are on the small side compared to other fish species like the Silver Dollar fish however, they are still a bit bigger than many other tetras. Their fins have a slightly purplish hue that is accented by staunch wide edges.ĭuring the Congo Tetra breeding season, the female Congo Tetra takes on a plump, well-rounded appearance because her abdomen is filled with eggs. For the Congo Tetra, the males are slightly bigger than their female counterparts and more colorful with stunning colors.Īlso, male Congo Tetras have longer dorsal fins than their female counterparts the other fins on the males have a wispy appearance that shimmer in the water. There are subtle differences between the male and female species of the Congo Tetra these differences are known as sexual dimorphism. This midsection is composed of color-changing luminescence. Usually, you notice a stripe that runs along their midsections, from their head to their tail fins. The exact color of hue you observe depends on how light reflects off this fish’s body you may see shades of gold, blue, turquoise, and violet. Their shimmering fins give off a unique rainbow-like appearance. They have a long and flat-like body that gives them a somewhat compressed look. Looking at the Congo Tetra, it is not hard to see why they are so sought after their appearance helps them stand out in any aquarium.
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Add a bit of tall vegetation, trees, and the right substrate, and the Congo Tetra is in fish lalaland. They love murky, slightly acidic water bodies like marshes, tributaries, pools, and streams. Looking at their name, it is easy to deduce that they are endemic to the Congo River Basin. Thanks to this, pet store Congo Tetras have all of the beautiful markings as the Congo tetras in the wild.
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It was first sighted in 1949 however, because they were difficult for aquarists to breed, they didn’t really catch until the late ’70s.īy this time, Florida Fish farms perfected a breeding line from which most of the specimens in the pet stores descend from. The Congo Tetra is a popular freshwater species that is revered for its vibrant, eye-catching colors.
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