Electric Blue Acara - Profile

Electric Blue Acara

Factfile Adult male electric blue acara.

Scientific name: Andinoacara pulcher

Size: 6-7 inch (15cm)

Origin: South America

Family: Cichlidae

Social Grouping: Pairs and groups

Tank size: 180 litres+

Water requirements: Soft water with a neutral pH, 6.5-8.5

Temperature: 25-27

LIfespan: 7-10 years 

Feeding: High protein diet - flakes, pellets, frozen or live bloodworm, brine shrimp.

    Electric blue acaras are a beautiful and relatively peaceful cichlid which urinate from south america. They have bright blue bodies with an orange stripe tip on top dorsal fin and top of forehead is usually a dark down colour. Many believe that the electric blue acara has been genetically bred from the blue acara to develop a brighter blue colouring. Averaging at 6-7 inch in size with the males growing larger than the females, males also tend to be more colourful and have bigger fins than the females. These beautiful cichlids are an ideal cichlid for beginners as they aren't too sensitive to pH or water hardness although they do prefer a low pH around 6.5 -7.5 and soft water is possible. Electric blue acaras make for a great addition to most community tanks due to their peaceful nature, however it is important to keep them with larger fish. Avoid any fish that they can fit into their mouth such as neon tetras, although not very aggressive they will happily snack on any small fish. These fish can also be kept in a species only tank e.g with themselves or with other south american cichlids (more on this later). Due to their size electric blue acaras should be kept in a tank of at least 180 litres, if multiple acaras are being kept together a tank well over 200 litres is ideal.  

    Electric blue acaras are generally more peaceful than other south american cichlids such as the green terror and don't grow as big as the blue acara which reaches over 7 inch. Therefore, if keeping with these fish it is ideal to buy them all as juveniles so they grow up together, if any fighting does occur separating the fish may be required. These cichlids tend to only be aggressive when breeding and due to them being difficult to sex if you end up with a breeding pair, especially in a community tank, you may have to remove them during there breeding period to avoid aggression towards other fish. Aquascaping for an electric blue acara has many possibilities, like most cichlids acaras are sand shifters meaning sand is an ideal substrate. Due to this behaviour live plants can easily be unplanted, try to have a deep substrate and bigger plants that are well rooted to avoid this occurring. Good water quality is essential for these fish it is recommended to do a weekly water change of about 25% and ensure a powerful filtration system is used. 

    These magnificent fish will readily eat most foods available on the market, they do require a high protein diet so ensure the food provided is top quality. They can be fed on flakes, pellets and frozen food such as bloodworms and brine shrimp. I'd highly recommend a colour enhancing food to ensure your fish are displaying as much colour as possible. Sexing electric blue acaras is difficult and nearly impossible when they are juveniles. Once fully grown there are a few differences to help with sexing, males will be larger in size, brighter in colour and have larger fins than females. The top dorsal fin will also be a more defined point on the males and more rounded with females. 

Breeding

    Electric blue acaras are an easy to breed cichlid that usually look after and

raise their fry on their own. If you're wanting to breed this colourful fish the best thing to do is buy 6 juvenile fish and allow them to pair naturally as they mature. Once a breeding pair has been established and mating behaviour begins they can be removed from the main tank and put into a breeding tank. Mating behaviour consist of them cleaning the surface in which they intend to lay eggs on which could be a flat rock or pot. They will also start    shaking at each other, this is normally the first behaviour to indicate a breeding pair. A breeding tank should be a least 60 litres, with a sponge filter and good water quality. The temperature in the tank should be higher than normal 27-28 degrees celsius and maintain at this temperature during spawning and the fry hatching. The parents usually care for their fry very well and will become very aggressive to any other fish in the tank. Parents should be removed from the fry 10-14 days after they have hatch, at this time the breeding pair will be ready to breed again. Fry should be fed twice a day with live food such as brine shrimp.

Tank mates:

Electric blue acaras

Blue acaras

Flying fox

Oscar fish - if brought up together from a juvenile size

Green terror - grow bigger than the EBA so monitor behaviour 

Severum fish

Pictus catfish

Plecs

Tiger barbs

Gouramis

Rainbows

Firemouth cichlid

Convict cichlid

Coradorys

Jack dempsey

Loaches - clown, zebra ect

Angel fish