Save the Little Fish

Saving the world’s tropical fish, one tank at a time.

Congo tetra, Phenacogrammus interruptus

Tetras · Phenacogrammus

Congo tetra

Phenacogrammus interruptus · Congo River basin, DR Congo

Photo: André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

The Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus) is a freshwater fish from Congo River basin, DR Congo, where it lives in river habitat. Adults reach about 8 cm (3.1 in). Keep it at 23–27 °C (73–81 °F) and pH 6–7.5, with a gentle current. It is peaceful and does best in a group of 6 or more. It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.

At a glance

Water temperature

23–27 °C 73–81 °F

pH

6–7.5 neutral water

Adult size

8 cm 3.1 in

Swims

Mid-water mostly in open water

Keep together

6 or more a shoal feels safe

Current

Gentle a steady gentle flow

Food

Eats most foods

Temperament

Peaceful

≈ Every value here is an estimate from typical hobby ranges. We're checking them against sources.

Where it comes from

Home water

Congo River basin, DR Congo

Congo

Lives in river habitat.

The dot is placed on its home rivers, not an exact collecting site. Map: Natural Earth.

Tank mates

Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with moderate flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.

In the hobby

In stock now

Not in stock at any store we track.

Tanks with this fish

No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.

From keepers

Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.

Questions keepers ask

How big does a Congo tetra get?

About 8 cm (3.1 in) as an adult.

What temperature does a Congo tetra need?

23–27 °C (73–81 °F).

What pH does a Congo tetra need?

pH 6–7.5.

Does a Congo tetra need to be kept in a group?

Yes. Keep at least 6.

Is the Congo tetra aggressive?

No. It is peaceful with fish that suit the same water.

What does a Congo tetra eat?

It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.

Where does the Congo tetra come from?

Congo River basin, DR Congo.

What fish can live with a Congo tetra?

Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Leopard frog (L134), Amano shrimp, Bolivian ram, Bronze corydoras.

All the numbers

Temperature min (°C)23 Estimate
Temperature max (°C)27 Estimate
pH min6 Estimate
pH max7.5 Estimate
Adult size (cm)8 Estimate
FlowModerate Estimate
Habitatriver Estimate
Smallest happy group6 Estimate
TemperamentPeaceful Estimate
DietOmnivore Estimate
Typical price min (CAD)6 Estimate
Typical price max (CAD)12 Estimate

Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.