Congo Tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus)
£10.00
Bulk Offer – 6 for £55.00
Discount will apply at checkout.
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Description
Congo Tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus):
Species Profile:
The Congo Tetra is a stunning freshwater fish native to the Congo River Basin in Central Africa. Renowned for its iridescent, rainbow-like scales and elegant, feathery fins, it is considered one of the most beautiful schooling fish available to UK aquarists.
1. Appearance & Characteristics
- Colouration: Features a striking lateral opal band that reflects shades of gold, turquoise, and violet depending on the light.
- Finnage: Males possess long, flowing dorsal and caudal (tail) fins with white-edged filaments. Females are generally smaller, less colourful, and have shorter fins.
- Size: They are a medium-sized tetra, typically reaching 8–10 cm (3–4 inches) in length.
2. Aquarium Requirements
To see the best colours and natural behaviour, a specific environment is recommended:
- Tank Size: Minimum 120 litres (approx. 4 feet long). As active open-water swimmers, they require plenty of horizontal space.
- Water Parameters:
- Temperature: 23°C – 28°C.
- pH: 6.0 – 7.5 (Ideally slightly acidic to neutral).
- Hardness: Soft to medium-hard (3–12 dGH).
- Lighting: Subdued lighting or floating plants (like Pistia or Salvinia) help the fish feel secure and make their iridescent colours “pop.”
- Substrate: Darker substrates, such as Natural River Gravel, are preferred to enhance their metallic sheen.
3. Diet & Feeding
Congo Tetras are omnivores and are generally unfussy eaters:
- Daily: High-quality tropical flakes or sinking pellets.
- Occasional Treats: Live or frozen foods such as white mosqutio lavae, daphnia, and brine shrimp to improve colouration and health.
- Vegetable Matter: They may occasionally nibble on soft-leaved plants; providing some spirulina-based food can mitigate this.
4. Temperament & Compatibility
- Schooling Nature: Must be kept in groups of at least 6–8 individuals. A solitary Congo Tetra will become stressed and lose its vibrant colour.
- Community Life: Generally peaceful. They cohabit well with other medium-sized, peaceful fish like Gouramis, Rainbowfish, and Corydoras.
- Caution: Avoid “fin-nipping” species (like Tiger Barbs) that may target the males’ delicate, flowing fins.
Feed a high quality flake and medium granular food twice a day. As a treat you can feed some live or frozen Brineshrimp, White Mosquito Larvae. They will enjoy this.
Convenient nationwide delivery; you’re only a click away!
Our nationwide delivery service makes it easy to receive your fish directly at your door, anywhere in the UK, for a flat rate of just £30. This convenient service allows you to order up to 10kg of fish, with the assurance that they will arrive in excellent condition. To make the fishes journey as comfortable as possible we use Oxygen in the fish bags and heat packs in all the boxes of fish we send out.
For your peace of mind we enclose a slip which will explain what to do in the event of a fish not traveling too well.
We use a licensed courier to deliver your fish directly to you door and will be with you by 1pm the next day.
Our delivery days are as follows:
Tuesday for Wednesday delivery
Wednesday for Thursday delivery
Thursday for Friday delivery
Please put your desired delivery day in the Order Notes on the Checkout page.
General Enquiries
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