Adding Congo Tetras to a Ctenopoma Tank

[tfreema]

Hey All! I need some advice on how big congo tetras need to be to be added to a tank with full-grown ctenopomas please.

I have a 120g tank with 2 full-grown ctenopomas (7 years old) and have been working on re-doing the stocking a little bit to build more around them and make it an African region tank. I have a group of 11 congo tetras to add. Just letting them grow a bit to make sure they are big enough. I think the males are safe enough, but the females are still smaller in stature.

Tank stock:
2 Ctenopomas
4 African Butterfly fish
5 Ropefish
1 Baby whale mormyrid
2 bn plecos (not african, but gotta have a pleco or two in every tank, lol)
3 bengal loaches (I know, from India, but these are leftover from the previous stock and will not be replaced when aged out - currently 6.5 years old)
And adding 16 congo tetras (have 5 more juvies that are definitely too small)

Thanks!

 

[tlindsey]

Hey All! I need some advice on how big congo tetras need to be to be added to a tank with full-grown ctenopomas please.

I have a 120g tank with 2 full-grown ctenopomas (7 years old) and have been working on re-doing the stocking a little bit to build more around them and make it an African region tank. I have a group of 11 congo tetras to add. Just letting them grow a bit to make sure they are big enough. I think the males are safe enough, but the females are still smaller in stature.

Tank stock:
2 Ctenopomas
4 African Butterfly fish
5 Ropefish
2 bn plecos (not african, but gotta have a pleco or two in every tank, lol)
3 bengal loaches (I know, from India, but these are leftover from the previous stock and will not be replaced when aged out - currently 6.5 years old)
And adding 16 congo tetras (have 5 more juvies that are definitely too small)

Thanks!

kno4te

 

[kno4te]

I’d say 3inches and should be a good safety margin. If you get couple more of ctenopoma then they’ll be preoccupied with themselves.

 

[tfreema]

I’d say 3inches and should be a good safety margin. If you get couple more of ctenopoma then they’ll be preoccupied with themselves.

Thanks for the reply!

The males may be pushing 2.5", but the females are closer to 1.5 - 2" so I guess I need to let them grow a bit more. They are in a 26g bow front quarantine tank so I will just move them to a 45g tall this weekend to give them some more growing room.

I am concerned that if I get too many ctenopomas, they will out-compete the ropefish or that it would push my tank to being overstocked...... I am big on understocking and overfiltrating.

However, my latest batch of ropefish in quarantine have no problem attacking the food as soon as I add it. They are even eating right out of my hand. They love silversides the best, but are also eating meal worms, blood worms, live red wrigglers, and at least picking up and spitting out the carnivore wafers, lol. I only have 1 from the first batch that survived and made it to the 120g. This batch is doing much better. 30 days in and all 4 are very healthy. Just the smallest one doesn't eat with the others so I separated it to a 10g to make sure it is getting food. I cannot catch it eating, but it is still alive so must be getting some before the ramshorn finishes it off at night. About to move it back to the 30L qt with the others to see how it does. I am hoping it follows their lead in coming to eat at feeding time now that it seems to have settled in. I do 60 day quarantine with these guys treating with levamisole and praziquantel.

 

[jeaninel]

Yes I'd say grow then out a bit more. 3" they should be safe. Sounds like a nice tank. Got any pics?

 

[tfreema]

This is from when I first rescaped it so it is a little different now, but not much. I did remove the HOB on the left and replaced with an FX4 (FX6 on the right) so I could really get a good seal off for the rope fish.

 

[tfreema]

Thoughts on an all male congo tetra school?

Update. The tank stocking has changed a little bit. I have not added the congo tetras yet. Some of the males are almost at the 3" mark if you include finnage, but the females are staying pretty small. I will be adding the entire school to a new 75g to grow while I mull over whether to add just males to the 120g.

Tank stock:
2 Ctenopomas
3 African Butterfly fish
5 Ropefish
1 African brown knife fish
2 bn plecos (not african, but gotta have a pleco or two in every tank, lol)
2 bengal loaches (I know, from India, but these are leftover from the previous stock and will not be replaced when aged out - currently 6.5 years old)
And adding 17 congo tetras??

Here is a more updated picture of the tank:



I would add a video, but imgur only allows 60 second video uploads and it's 63 seconds......

 

[kno4te]

I’d say add them in.

 

[tfreema]

I’d say add them in.

Do you have any experience with an all male school of congo tetras? I am just wondering if there would be any aggression or if the removal of females from the mix would remove the competitive behavior. Even tetras can be bullies to one another when competing for that alpha spot.

It would add another level of activity to the 120g that I think is lacking at the moment.

 

[kno4te]

Do you have any experience with an all male school of congo tetras? I am just wondering if there would be any aggression or if the removal of females from the mix would remove the competitive behavior. Even tetras can be bullies to one another when competing for that alpha spot.

It would add another level of activity to the 120g that I think is lacking at the moment.

Not specifically all male but have had tanks with groups of 20. Aggression was spread out amongst them. Large groups help.