Congo Tetra tank suggestions

[howze01]

Just looking for critiques and maybe suggestions about the tank I’m planning. I’m considering a 75 or 90 gallon tank with a school of Congo Tetras. I’m thinking of having a sand substrate as well. I really want to have a nice group of Cory cats and a pair of Apistos and maybe also a pair of blue rams or kribensis. I’d like to do some low - medium light plants like an Amazon Sword, some Vals and some crypts. I’m also hoping to find a drilled tank and have a sump too.

How many Congo Tetras would be good in a 75?

[Bill Smith]

I like it. I've done full-gown Congo tetras with blue rams fairly successfully. They stay in their respective strata very nicely. I just keep the temperature a little higher than the tetras prefer (82-83), in order to keep the rams happy. The tetras can handle it.

I also found that when fed on an auto-feeder, the Congo tetras grow into adult size very, very quickly, so I suggest saving some money and buying them small! In a 75, starting small, I'd probably go with about a dozen.

For the lower-strata cichlids to get enough food, you will possibly want to feed pretty heavily, so extra filtration is a good idea.

Keep us posted!

[howze01]

Thanks for the ideas Bill! I wouldn’t have thought of keeping it that warm for the Rams. I’ve never had great luck with them and that may be the reason why. The bottom fish are the reason I’m considering using a sand bottom. I like the idea of the cories and apistos being able to sift through it. Not sure how it’ll work with the plants but we shall see!

[JettsPapa]

If you stay with the GBR's I'd suggest getting sterbai corys.  I haven't kept them, but have heard from multiple sources that they'll be happier than most other cory species in water that warm.

[Nataku]

I keep my congos in a 58, which is just a slightly taller 40 breeder. I usually keep the adult school between 10 and 18 individuals. When it was just the congos in that tank, they bred in there and some fry survived, hence the varying numbers. But with the school being large enough and there being other fish in that tank now, none of the eggs survive long enough. When I want to breed them I separate out a pair to a smaller tank to spawn. I'd keep between a dozen and 25 congos in a 75, depending upon how many and what other species you wanted to keep in there with them. Congos will stay in the middle and top of the tank, so bottom dwellers will not interfere with them. But congos are voracious come feeding time, so you will need to feed heavily or get food down to the bottom without the congos gobbling it up first.

I've tried them at varying temps over the years from 76 to 82. They do fine at any of those,, so they could be kept with rams. Their tank has amazon swords, jungle valisneria and crypts in it, so yes they do very well with those plants.

[Colu]

Have you considered a biotope aquarium  Congo tetras and synodontis nigriventris  and small cichlid     nanochromis dimidiatis or pelvicachromis subocellatus

Edited December 24, 2020 by Colu

[howze01]

5 hours ago, JettsPapa said:

If you stay with the GBR's I'd suggest getting sterbai corys.  I haven't kept them, but have heard from multiple sources that they'll be happier than most other cory species in water that warm.

It just so happens that sterbai are my favorite cories so that works for me! Thanks!

[howze01]

48 minutes ago, Nataku said:

I keep my congos in a 58, which is just a slightly taller 40 breeder. I usually keep the adult school between 10 and 18 individuals. When it was just the congos in that tank, they bred in there and some fry survived, hence the varying numbers. But with the school being large enough and there being other fish in that tank now, none of the eggs survive long enough. When I want to breed them I separate out a pair to a smaller tank to spawn. I'd keep between a dozen and 25 congos in a 75, depending upon how many and what other species you wanted to keep in there with them. Congos will stay in the middle and top of the tank, so bottom dwellers will not interfere with them. But congos are voracious come feeding time, so you will need to feed heavily or get food down to the bottom without the congos gobbling it up first.

I've tried them at varying temps over the years from 76 to 82. They do fine at any of those,, so they could be kept with rams. Their tank has amazon swords, jungle valisneria and crypts in it, so yes they do very well with those plants.

I was hoping for at least 12 (well, 13 since I always keep odd numbers) of the congos. I figured that left enough room for a nice sized Cory group and a pair of something else at the bottom. Rams or kribs most likely. I hadn’t thought of breeding. If it happens, it’ll probably just be a nice snack for everyone. What did you keep for algae control? Your tank sounds very similar to what I was thinking. Since I want to use sand I was planning on some Malaysian Trumpet Snails since they’ll eat the algae and help with cleaning up the sand.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[howze01]

45 minutes ago, Colu said:

Have you considered a biotope aquarium  Congo tetras and synodontis nigriventris  and small cichlid     nanochromis dimidiatis

I’ve always been a big fan of cories so I automatically assumed I’d have them but a couple upside down cats sounds interesting too. I’d have to look into it some more. I also just looked up the nanochromis and they’re beautiful. I hadn’t thought of a biotope but now you’ve got me thinking! Thanks!

[Nataku]

20 hours ago, howze01 said:

.What did you keep for algae control? Your tank sounds very similar to what I was thinking. Since I want to use sand I was planning on some Malaysian Trumpet Snails since they’ll eat the algae and help with cleaning up the sand.

Thanks for your suggestions!

My tank has several siamese algae eaters and plenty of Malaysian trumpet snails. Also a couple nerites.  The substrate is black diamond blasting sand. So it may indeed be a similar concept for what you are planning.