If at all feasible, keep the temperature at 76F. When the electric blue acara is between 8 and 10 months, it is considered mature enough to breed, and they will usually find their ideal pair in the tank on their own. They need a minimum of a 20-gallon tank with the usual 10 to 15 gallons extra capacity per fish. Electric blues will appreciate a variety of live, freeze-dried, and frozen foods. To get the best breeding pair possible, many hobbyists purchase a small group of about 5 fish. They are in a 75 gallon with 8 skirt tetras, 4 pictus cats, dwarf gourami and a super red pleco. So, every week you must carry out partial water changes to remove excess ammonia and nitrites and to keep nitrate levels down. Add your decorations to the tank, rinsing them first to wash away any dust. Electric blue acaras can successfully be kept with live plants, but only species that mind being uprooted from time to time. The best numbers to shoot for are either two Electric Blue Acara with each other, or 6,8,10, etc. Visit The Aquarium Guide (TAG)'s profile on Pinterest. These vibrant fish are sure to add some excitement to your aquarium. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Here are some great Electric Blue Acara tank mates that we recommend: This is just a small example of the potential tank mates you can pair with this fish, but its a good starting point. Over the course of the next two to three days, the parents will protect the eggs. It is a member of the cichlid family and can grow to be up to 10 inches in length. The Electric Blue Acara does like to burrow, and for that reason, its important that you provide your fish with a soft, sandy substrate, rather than hard gravel that could injure the fish. Once these fish have reached the 4-5 inch mark in their growth theyre able to breed. #1. The Electric Blue Acara is typically smaller and more brightly colored than the normal Blue Acara. The flatter the better! Ideal Tank Mates Generally, keep your Acara Cichlids in groups of at least six or eight fish, while keeping the male to female ratio at 1:3. While some fish will withstand a sudden change in pH, others will not. When choosing ready-made feeds, it is recommended to pay attention to specially developed mixtures for cichlids. Shrimps and small fish give blue cichlids a special treat. Other hobbyists keep only electric blue acaras in their tanks and let them breed. First, theyre absolutely stunning to look at. The water should be in the neutral to the mildly acidic range with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0 and with a soft to medium-hardness of between 3 and 12 dGH. It is true for most fish, but the electric blue andinoacara pulcher is a cichlid that does not enjoy swimming in dirty waters. Rainbowfish should be kept in small groups to avoid hostile behaviors among themselves. Plants that can gain traction in the aquarium substrate, as well as floating plants, are best. Their peaceful nature means that theyll get along with most other fish in a community tank and will avoid starting trouble whenever possible. I have 4 males in my 20 gallon. A lot of potential owners think the opposite when they see that these fish are cichlids, but it simply isnt the case. . During spawning times, electric blue acara will become noticeably more aggressive and territorial. However, if you maintain great water quality and give them a healthy diet these are unlikely to occur. Andinoacara pulcher is a genuine show-stopper with its surreal glow, making the aquarium tank it sits in stand out. If so, youre in for a real treat! Water hardness: The ideal degree of water hardness ranges between 3Dh-20Dh. The electric blue acara can also be afflicted with skin flukes. Natural objects like driftwood, peat moss, and coral sand can help you balance your pH, but its tough to say how much theyll help. I have 12 of various varieties in my 75 gallon aquarium and wanted some to enjoy in my 20 gallon. Unlike other similar South American cichlids that are mouth brooders, the electric blue acara is an egg layer that displays excellent parental care. The electric blue acara can live for 10 years when kept in a property-conditioned tank. Pretty much anything peaceful that can thrive with similar water parameters is possible. $24.99 shipping. The best electric blue acara community tank mates include: They have even been safely kept with larger invertebrates, including dwarf crayfish and nerite snails. Malawi bloat is a sickness that affects cichlids in Malawi. Formalin, sodium chloride, and malachite green are effective treatments for ich. That said, its best to avoid keeping shrimp or very small fish species with Acaras, as these little guys will most likely become lunch. These fish are egg layers, depositing their eggs on flat surfaces that are open to the water, such as flat rocks on the substrate. Though these colorful fish look best under high lighting, they prefer low to medium light settings. While the electric blue acara is one of the most adaptable cichlid tank mates, theyre not right for every home aquarium setup. They are quiet and hang out towards the aquariums bottom. The bristlenose pleco is one of the greatest tank mates for electric blue acara. Luckily, electric blue acaras are monogamous fish that mate for life. As always, its recommended to quarantine new fish for at least three weeks before adding them to a new system. That behavior in the fishes wild environment enables them to find food, but in the home aquarium, the Acaras habit of persistently disturbing the substrate can be a nuisance, especially if you have live plants in the setup. You can keep around 10-15 cichlids in a 55-gallon fish tank. Thats why ensure the aquarium fishes have a healthy habitat and constantly lookout for any signs of illness in the aquarium fish. You can generally prevent this issue by getting a right-sized aquarium with enough fish and places to hide. One of the best things about electric blue acara is that they eat anything you offer them! The spiny rays on the backs of their fins work as a protection against otheraggressive fish, and the dorsal fin is often (but not always) pointed. For each additional acara, add 15 gallons. In this guide, well provide everything you need to know about keeping electric blue acaras healthy and happy. What makes the electric blue acara so appealing to hobbyists is its colors. Electric blue acara fish love to swim, and you will likely see your fish spending the day swimming around. What Aquarium Habitats Does Electric Blue Acara Prefer? They spend most of their time sucking at the tanks surfaces and removing superfluous algae. In the aquarium hobby, the electric blue acara is a favorite cichlid to keep due to its bright coloration, hardiness, conforming temperament, and easy breeding. Electric Blue Acara are one of our favorite cichlids due to their size, coloration and wide range of tank mate. It is tall, with a 75-gallon footprint. They're peaceful and will avoid starting trouble with other fish, You have a lot of options when it comes to choosing suitable electric blue acara tank mates. It should be smaller than the normal tank size in order to encourage the mating process. Like all fish there are some of the usual suspects youll want to look out for. Q: How many Electric Blue Acaras can be kept in a 75 gallon tank? First, trim off any dead leaves or broken stems, and plant the specimens as per the suppliers instructions, ideally in pots to prevent the Acaras from uprooting the plants. These Dwarf rainbows are prefect for smaller aquariums. This gives their sides a neat patterned look that can be very mesmerizing to observe. Malawi bloat causes a bloated abdomen and a diminished appetite or complete loss of appetite in fish. In either case, the water temperature should be set to 77 F with a relatively neutral pH and slightly soft water. How many blue acara can go in a 20 -gallon tank: 2: . Expect your tank to be around 140lbs when empty and 850lbs when filled. While some fish have names that only indirectly represent them or names that might even be misguiding, this fish is everything the name indicates. This arrangement will create a vibrant highlight in the tank when set against a dark background and greenery plants. A tank of this size will weigh a lot more than smaller tanks, especially when filled. Theyre also quite easy to care for. These fish are primarily light and shiny blue with some subtle details that add to their glimmer. These fish prefer sandy substrate and warmer water between 75F and 80F. Cichlids like the electric blue acara are omnivores, but they favor a meat-based diet high in protein. But there's no one rule set in stone. On average, the Electric Blue Acara has a lifespan of about 8-10 years when kept in captivity. Electric Blue Acaras are active fish that spend much of their time digging in the substrate, exploring their surroundings, and rummaging through plants and underneath decorations. If youre looking for a beautiful and easy aquarium fish to care for we highly recommend the Electric Blue Acara. Electric Blue Acara Behavior and Temperament. An Electric Blue Acara needs at least a 30-gallon tank. If you have any rooted plants this might cause an issue because these little fish can uproot them on occasion. These gorgeous, large cichlids are found in the South and Central areas of South America, Columbia, Trinidad, and Venezuela. If you have more than one electric blue acara, you need more space and more water, so plan when you set up your tank. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Clown Loaches are one of the most popular freshwater fish in the aquarium scene. Use antibiotics such as metronidazole, octozin, and others as the best treatment. These cichlids love to swim and explore, and it wont be happy unless it can do so freely. The upper or middle level of the aquarium houses most electric blue acaras. Theyre active diggers, which means youll often see them rummaging through the substrate in search of little things to nibble on. As long as you have a big tank with many hiding places for refuge, housing electric yellow cichlids with blue acara cichlids shouldn't pose any problem. It would be optimal to have a temperature range of 68-82 F but keep it at around 75-76 F. . Discus is the most colorful fish. If you want your fish to thrive, you must have good water quality and follow the suggested water parameter requirements. They are simple to look after and normally go about their business. Once everything is all set up its time to begin breeding your Electric Blue Acara. Acaras can get 6-7 inches each and 5 is too many without the plecos. Dont be mistaken by the popularity of dwarf South American cichlids. Are you thinking about adding an electric blue acara to your tank? Prevention is always preferable and involves far lesser risk than cure. Brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, bloodworms, earthworms, and even fresh pieces of mollusk and fish may be given as a treat. Kevin Clamser says . If you dont want to hassle with this then you can feed them pellets and flake fish food provided it has enough nutritional value to keep them healthy. Place an upturned saucer on the substrate. The electric blue acara is similar to other cichlids, such as thegreen terror cichlid, but is at the same time very unique in its color. Tank Requirements for Electric Blue Acara. One clutch includes about 100 to 200 eggs. These fish are a flash of brilliant light in the aquarium with their bright blue bodies! Due to their peculiar tendencies can cause some havoc in a community tank; however, this is rarely a major issue, and if the tank is large enough, they will keep to themselves. When stocking your aquarium, be sure to allow one gallon of water per one inch of fish. There may be a few things to think about when trying to breed the Electric Blue Acara, but it does not change that the andinoacara pulcher is perhaps the easiest cichlid to breed. With this in mind, it is a good idea to have a group of electric blue acara fish that gives them the freedom of choice, and when you know which pair to breed you can move them over to a 20-gallon breeding tank. Is this because of aggression? These fishes can be kept in groups and coexist nicely with their species. Electric blue acaras are a favorite cichlid due to their passive demeanor. $18.00 shipping. I don't think I . Since the female and male will be exceptionally active at the bottom of the tank during the breeding process youll want to stick with soft substrate (like sand). It is a cichlid that hardly adjusts well to changes in the environment, and it can live for a total of 10 years when kept in good condition. Betta Fish Tank Ideas Unique, Cute And Cool Designs, Best Places To Buy Goldfish For Sale Online, 13 Awesome Freshwater Aquarium Sharks to Enhance Your Underwater World, Aquarium Light VS Grow Light Know Which One To Choose. Starting at the front of their dorsal fin and extending down to their upper lip is a dark grey patch devoid of any blue. Poor tank mates are ones that can easily fit in an electric blues mouth or ones that are overly aggressive or that try to fight back! Electric Blue Acara Common Diseases and their Treatment, Two Advantages of Having Electric Blue Acara Tank Mates in Your Aquarium, Dos And Donts For Selecting Electric Blue Acaras, Best Flowering Aquarium Plants For Your Tank (Expert Review), How Often Do Ghost Shrimp Molt?