A beautiful, active, and peaceful shoaling fish from the Congo River basin, the Yellow-Tail Congo Tetra is a jewel for the planted community aquarium.
Overview
The Yellow-Tail Congo Tetra, Alestopetersius caudalis, is a stunning and energetic tetra from the Alestidae family, hailing from the Congo River basin in Africa. This species is admired for its iridescent body, which shimmers with blue and gold hues, and its namesake bright yellow tail. Males are typically more colorful and develop elegant, flowing extensions on their dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. A shoaling species, they are most comfortable and display their best colors when kept in a group.
Tank Requirements
For a school of 6-8 Yellow-Tail Congo Tetras, a 20-gallon (75 liters) long-style aquarium is the minimum, but a 30-gallon (114 liters) or larger tank is highly recommended to accommodate their active nature. They appreciate a well-planted tank with plenty of open swimming space. A dark substrate and dim lighting, perhaps filtered through floating plants, will help to showcase their subtle beauty.
Water parameters should be kept stable, with a temperature between 73-81°F (23-27°C), a pH of 6.0-7.5, and soft to moderately hard water. Good filtration with a gentle flow is essential, as they are sensitive to deteriorating water conditions.
Feeding and Diet
In the wild, Alestopetersius caudalis are omnivores, feeding on a variety of small insects, crustaceans, and plant matter. In the aquarium, they are enthusiastic eaters and should be offered a varied diet. A high-quality flake or micropellet can form the basis of their diet, but this should be supplemented regularly with live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, and bloodworms to promote optimal health and coloration.
Care and Maintenance
These tetras are relatively hardy, but they do require clean water to thrive. Regular weekly water changes of 25-30% are recommended. They are a shoaling species and should be kept in groups of at least 6, with 10 or more being ideal. In smaller groups, they can be shy and skittish, and may even become aggressive towards one another. A larger group will encourage their natural schooling behavior and result in a more confident and impressive display.
Compatibility
The Yellow-Tail Congo Tetra is a peaceful species that is well-suited to a community aquarium with other similarly-sized, peaceful fish. Good tankmates include other African tetras like the Congo Tetra, peaceful dwarf cichlids such as Pelvicachromis pulcher, and various species of Corydoras and Loricariids. Avoid housing them with boisterous or aggressive fish that may intimidate them or outcompete them for food. Also, their flowing finnage can be a target for fin-nipping species.
Breeding
Breeding the Yellow-Tail Congo Tetra can be challenging but is achievable. A separate breeding tank with soft, acidic water (pH 6.0-6.5) and a temperature at the higher end of their preferred range is required. The tank should be dimly lit and furnished with fine-leaved plants like Java moss or a spawning mop for the fish to deposit their eggs.
The fish should be conditioned with plenty of live and frozen foods. They are egg-scatterers and will eat their own eggs, so the parents should be removed after spawning. The eggs will hatch in approximately 36 hours, and the fry will become free-swimming a few days later. The fry are very small and require microscopic foods such as infusoria or a commercial liquid fry food until they are large enough to accept newly hatched brine shrimp.