Brichard's Congo tetra

Alestopetersius brichardi

Also known as Brichardi Congo tetra, Red Congo tetra

FreshwaterFish

Brichard's Congo tetra (Alestopetersius brichardi) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 6.0–7.2
Adult size: 3.5 in (9 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lower Congo rapids region
Family: Alestidae

Overview

Brichard's Congo tetra is a peaceful, colorful schooling fish that needs company to feel secure, so keep a group of at least six, with several males bringing out rival displays and richer color. It swims in open midwater and does best with room and a little current. Good tankmates are other calm community fish that stay off its size class, such as Synodontis catfish, peaceful barbs, and larger rasboras or tetras. Feed generously and variously: flake and pellets as a base, topped up with frozen and live foods like bloodworm and brine shrimp. A tank of around 110 liters or larger gives this active fish the swimming length it wants.

In the wild

This tetra comes from the fast, oxygen-rich stretches of the Congo River around Malebo Pool and the rapids below, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The water there is warm, soft, and slightly acidic, moving over rock and sand. Give it a well-filtered tank with steady flow, open swimming space, and some driftwood or plants at the sides. Keep it at 23 to 27 degrees Celsius and pH 6.0 to 7.2, with strong oxygenation and clean water to match the moving river it comes from.

Good to know

Alestopetersius brichardi is an African tetra in Alestidae and grows to around 9 centimeters. Males are the striking sex, washed in cherry red and orange with a blue and purple sheen and extended fin tips, while females stay plainer, so the trade sells it as the cherry red or red Congo tetra. The species honors Pierre Brichard, the Belgian exporter who collected part of the original type material. Reliable aquarium breeding is not documented, though like its relatives it is an egg-scattering spawner.

Did you know

It carries the name of Pierre Brichard, the Belgian exporter whose mid-century collecting on the Congo and Lake Tanganyika introduced a whole generation of African fish to the hobby; his name still rides on cichlids, catfish, and this tetra.

Tank mates

Brichard's Congo tetra is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.