Brichard's Congo Tetra Care Guide
Alestopetersius brichardi is a small schooling African tetra from the Congo River basin, reaching about 8 cm.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Alestopetersius brichardi is an African tetra of the family Alestidae, described by Max Poll in 1967 and named after the Belgian fish collector and exporter Pierre Brichard. It is a slim, silvery schooling fish. The species was formerly placed in the genus Phenacogrammus as Phenacogrammus brichardi.
Taxonomy
- Family: Alestidae
- Genus: Alestopetersius
- Scientific name: Alestopetersius brichardi
- Common synonym: Phenacogrammus brichardi
Habitat
The species is endemic to the Congo River system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, recorded from Pool Malebo (Malebo Pool), the middle Congo River, the Ruki drainage, and the Lomami River. FishBase describes it as a freshwater, pelagic species of tropical zones.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L (26 gal)
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-12 °dGH
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
Diet
The species is omnivorous. FishBase reports a trophic level of about 3.1, indicating an omnivorous feeding habit based on its closest relatives. In the aquarium it accepts a varied diet offered around twice daily.
Compatibility
Brichard's Congo tetra is a peaceful, diurnal, mid-water schooling fish. It should be kept in groups and combined with other peaceful species. Aggressive or much larger tankmates should be avoided.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. FishBase reports high resilience and low fishing vulnerability for the species.
Brichard's Congo Tetra Breeding Guide
Overview
Alestopetersius brichardi is a small alestid tetra from the middle Congo River system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the Busira and Ruki rivers. Seriously Fish records a size of 75-80 mm SL and FishBase lists 7.9 cm SL. It is an egg-scattering tetra that, like its congeners, provides no parental care.
Sexing
Males are notably more colourful, with extended dorsal, ventral, anal and caudal fins, and turn bright reddish when competing. Females have shorter fin extensions except for extended median caudal-fin rays (Seriously Fish).
Conditioning
Condition adults on regular small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia and Artemia alongside good-quality dried flakes and granules. The species is gregarious and best kept in groups of at least 8-10, which encourages the hierarchical displays between males. Documented parameters are 20-28 C and pH 5.0-7.0 (Seriously Fish).
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
As an egg-scattering alestid, soft, slightly acidic water and the presence of fine-leaved plants are the general conditions associated with spawning in the genus. Eggs are scattered and unguarded; no species-specific trigger is documented for A. brichardi.