Congo Tetra fish have the potential to be commercial, especially because of their colorful body. These are the techniques to spawn the Congo Tetra fish.
Congo Tetra is one of the most kept fish for aquarists. It is fairly large for the size of the Tetra species. The female fish can reach 6 cm or more, while males can reach 8.5 cm or more with a lifespan of between 3-5 years. They have hologram body-color characteristics. Whenever they move, varying colors of the rainbow are clearly seen. The back looks blue, the side looks golden yellow and red-orange, while the abdomen part has a bluish color. Congo Tetras are easy to spawn, and you can breed them easily. These are some tips and tricks to spawn the Congo Tetra fish.
Congo Tetras enter reproductive age at the age of 8 to 9 months. Two weeks before mating, the male from the female must be separated from other fish and put into a special tank for spawning. Add more feeding portions and pay heed to the nutrition; add more nutrients to the food.
In the breeding aquarium, you can put them in pairs or groups. Meaning, you can have one male and one female or one male with multiple females. The latter option is more recommended. The spawning aquarium must have at least 200 liter capacity as they will lay 300 to 500 eggs.
There are some particular conditions to meet to ensure the success of spawning. First, set the water pH level to 6,8 to 6,5. Second, set the water temperature to 25 to 28 degrees Celsius. Third, put some peat moss substrate here and there with Java moss on top, live plants, or artificial grass to provide a place to place the eggs. Fourth, do not do any aeration or filtration.
Place the pair or group before the sunset or turn off the lights and put a lid on the aquarium tank. Maintain darkness for eight hours. The spawning process usually takes time in the morning. You can also add fresh water with the smooth stream, increase the water flow, and set up the proper water condition.
After two weeks have passed, you can transfer the Tetra Kongo fish to the prepared aquarium at night. Increase the temperature of the water gradually. The fish will produce around 300 to 500 transparent eggs. Keep in mind that old aquarium water has a high nitrogen level. This condition is an unfavourable growth condition for the young Kongo Tetra fish. Worst come to worst, they can die young.
Once you spawn the Congo Tetra fish, put the pair or group into their old tank and take off all the installed equipment. Replace the water with the same parameter. Healthy eggs will have a round shape with transparent color while the unhealthy ones look white. Keep only the healthy ones in the tank and throw away the unhealthy ones.
The incubation time takes around 5 to 7 days. A day or two days before the fish larvae appear, lower the aquarium's water level by about 3 to 5 centimeters. Wait for 6 to 7 days, and baby fish start swimming around. At this age, they are ready to eat. The suitable diet for Congo Tetra fish at this age are boiled egg yolk, Rotifera, infusorian, etc. Half a month later, they can eat cyclops and small prawns.
Those are the things you need to know to spawn the Congo Tetra fish. Happy farming!
Sources:
https://www.thesprucepets.com/congo-tetra-1380990#:~:text=These%20African%20characin%20fish%20are,sand%2C%20silt%2C%20and%20mud.
https://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/characins/CongoTetra.php#Habitat:%20Distribution%20/%20Background