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Yellow-tailed Congo tetra

Alestopetersius caudalis

Also known as Yellow congo tetra

FreshwaterFish

Yellow-tailed Congo tetra (Alestopetersius caudalis)
The Great Mule of Eupatoria · CC0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Alestidae
Origin
Congo Basin

Overview

The yellow-tailed Congo tetra is a small, mostly peaceful schooling fish for a planted community tank. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

Male yellow-tailed Congo tetras flick and display the long extensions on their tail fins during courtship. They use the display to compete for females.

Caring for the yellow-tailed Congo tetra

Keep yellow-tailed Congo tetras in a school of at least six, in a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or more. In smaller numbers they get nervous and washed out. A planted tank with some open swimming room and dimmer lighting shows off their colors and keeps them settled.

Give them soft water on the acidic to neutral side, at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. In the wild they eat small insects, larvae and bits of plant matter. In the tank, feed good flake or small pellets, with regular live or frozen treats such as bloodworms and daphnia.

They swim in the middle and upper water and are peaceful with fish of a similar size. Males grow long, trailing extensions on the middle of the tail fin. The species scatters its eggs and gives no parental care, and the eggs hatch in roughly a day and a half. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The yellow-tailed Congo tetra is a member of the African tetra family, Alestidae. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, with stable wild populations.

In the wild

The yellow-tailed Congo tetra comes from the slow, soft, slightly acidic waters of the Congo Basin. It usually lives over sand or mud, with plenty of plants around.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The yellow-tailed Congo tetra is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a yellow-tailed Congo tetra need?

A yellow-tailed Congo tetra needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a yellow-tailed Congo tetra need?

A yellow-tailed Congo tetra is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a yellow-tailed Congo tetra eat?

A yellow-tailed Congo tetra eats small insects, larvae and bits of plant matter in the wild. In the tank it takes good flake or small pellets, with regular live or frozen treats.

How big does a yellow-tailed Congo tetra get?

An adult yellow-tailed Congo tetra reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

Does a yellow-tailed Congo tetra need a group?

Yes. A yellow-tailed Congo tetra is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male yellow-tailed Congo tetra from a female?

Males grow long, trailing extensions on the middle of the tail fin.

How does a yellow-tailed Congo tetra breed?

The yellow-tailed Congo tetra scatters its eggs and gives them no care. The eggs hatch in roughly a day and a half, and breeding it is hard.

Related species