TankBud

Congo coptodon

Coptodon congica

Also known as Tilapia congica

FreshwaterFish

Congo coptodon (Coptodon congica)

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–86°F
25–30°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
9.8 in
25 cm
Minimum tank
106 gal
400 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Congo basin

Overview

The Congo coptodon is a river tilapia for a spacious African biotope tank, where it swims through the middle water. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

Many people picture tilapias as mouthbrooders that carry their young inside the mouth. The Congo coptodon never adopted that habit, and it raises a brood more the way New World cichlids do.

Caring for the Congo coptodon

Keep a single Congo coptodon or a pair in a robust tank of at least 106 gal (400 L). It is not fussy about decor, but it needs room to swim. Give it open water, a sand or fine gravel floor, and some driftwood and rock to break up the space. The wood and rock also offer flat surfaces where a pair might spawn.

Keep the water warm and soft to neutral, at 77 to 86°F (25 to 30°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. It browses plant matter and small foods, so lean its diet toward greens, vegetable pellets and spirulina, with some frozen food mixed in. Without enough greens it will graze any soft plants you add.

The Congo coptodon is fairly peaceful for its size. Choose sturdy tank mates such as other Congo cichlids or synodontis catfish, and keep the group uncrowded.

It is a substrate spawner. A pair lays its eggs on a stone or other cleaned surface out in the open, and both parents guard the eggs and fry. It is not often bred in aquariums, and reliable spawning is considered difficult.

Good to know

The Congo coptodon is a tilapia from the Congo in the family Cichlidae. It was long known as Tilapia congica, and its current scientific name is Coptodon congica.

In the wild

The Congo coptodon lives in the channels and quieter pools of the middle Congo River.

Common questions

What size tank does a Congo coptodon need?

A Congo coptodon needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Congo coptodon need?

A Congo coptodon is comfortable at 77–86°F (25–30°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Congo coptodon eat?

A Congo coptodon browses plant matter and small foods. Feed it mostly greens, vegetable pellets and spirulina, with some frozen food mixed in.

How big does a Congo coptodon get?

An adult Congo coptodon reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).

How does a Congo coptodon breed?

The Congo coptodon is a substrate spawner. A pair lays its eggs on a stone or cleaned surface in the open, and both parents guard the eggs and fry. Reliable spawning in aquariums is considered difficult.

Related species