The Electric Blue Acara (Andinoacara pulcher) is a captivating fish belonging to the Cichlidae family. Originating from the slow-moving waters of South and Central America, this fish has gained popularity among aquarium enthusiasts for its striking appearance and relatively easy care. If you’re looking for a beautiful and easy aquarium fish to care for we highly recommend the Electric Blue Acara.
Appearance and Lifespan
The Electric Blue Acara is named for its light, shiny blue coloration, accented by a vibrant yellow/orange line along the top edge of its dorsal fin. Their scales are quite visible due to the brightness of the blue on their bodies. The one place on their bodies where the bright coloration fades a bit is their forehead. These fish typically reach an average size of 6 to 7 inches in length and possess a standard cichlid body shape, with a dorsal fin that runs from about a quarter of the way back from the front of their body and extends all the way back to the start of their caudal fin.
In captivity, the average Electric Blue Acara lifespan is between 8 and 10 years. However, this can be influenced by factors such as living conditions, water quality, and stress levels.
Tank Setup and Water Parameters
The recommended tank size for the Electric Blue Acara is 30 gallons for a single fish. If keeping multiple Electric Blue Acaras, increase the tank size by 15 gallons per additional fish (e.g., 45 gallons for two).
Maintaining great water quality is essential for their well-being. Fortunately, Electric Blue Acaras are pretty hardy fish. The ideal water temperature range is 72°F to 82°F. Mimicking their natural environment is crucial, which means providing plenty of hiding places where they can feel safe. They will also spend a decent amount of time investigating and digging into the substrate. Any floating plants such as hornwort will also do a great job of helping them feel at home.
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Diet and Feeding
Blue Acaras are omnivores with a preference for protein-rich foods. In the wild, they consume a variety of live foods, including small fish, insects, and crustaceans. In captivity, they should be fed a balanced diet to ensure optimal health and vibrant coloration. Offer high-quality granules and flakes as their staple diet, ensuring they contain essential nutrients and proteins suitable for cichlids. Supplement their diet with live or frozen foods such as earthworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia to replicate their natural diet and provide enrichment.
Feeding should be done once or twice a day, with portions that the fish can consume within a few minutes to prevent overfeeding and water quality issues. It's crucial to provide a varied diet to maintain their health, boost their immune system, and enhance their natural colors. Don’t feed them an entirely protein-based diet simply because they seem to enjoy it. Make sure that whatever foods you’re giving them have some plant-based properties as well. It’s also important to avoid overfeeding.
Tank Mates and Temperament
Electric Blue Acaras are known for their relatively peaceful temperament, especially compared to other cichlids. This means they do well with a wide variety of tank mates and will rarely cause any disturbances in your aquarium.
When choosing tank mates, avoid pairing them with exceptionally aggressive fish or those significantly larger than the Electric Blue Acara. Suitable companions include other medium-sized, peaceful to semi-aggressive cichlids such as Keyhole Cichlids, Firemouth Cichlids, or Severums. Avoid housing them with small, delicate species like Guppies, Neon Tetras, or shrimps, as they may be harassed or eaten.
Keeping Electric Blue Acaras with their own kind is also a viable option. The best numbers to shoot for are either two Electric Blue Acara with each other, or 6, 8, 10, etc. While a lot of aquarists don’t like the idea of having a single-species tank for the sake of variety, the visual display you get from this fish has changed a lot of minds.
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Behavior and Activity
In terms of their general behavior, you’ll definitely enjoy watching the Electric Blue Acara. They’re active diggers, which means you’ll often see them rummaging through the substrate in search of little things to nibble on. If you have any rooted plants this might cause an issue because these little fish can uproot them on occasion. Since they’re peaceful yet curious they will display a mix of behaviors while in your tank.
Breeding
Electric Blue Acara breeding is something that pretty much anyone can do. Once these fish have reached the 4-5 inch mark in their growth they’re able to breed. Use this length as the benchmark when determining mating viability. It’s recommended to have a set breeding tank with this fish. It should be smaller than the normal tank size in order to encourage the mating process. There should also be some rocks where they can lay their eggs.
To encourage breeding, provide a separate breeding tank with a flat rock or slate, as the female prefers to lay her eggs on a clean, flat surface. Maintain water conditions slightly on the warmer side, around 24-26°C (75-79°F), with soft to moderately hard water.
A pair that’s about to mate will start to interact with each other more often than before. The fish will clean a spot on the bottom of the tank on top of the rocks where they’ll tend to their eggs. Once ready, the female will lay up to 200 eggs on the chosen surface. Both parents will guard and tend to the eggs, displaying increased territorial behavior. The eggs typically hatch within 2-3 days, and the fry become free-swimming a week after hatching. At this stage, it's advisable to remove other tank mates to prevent aggression and ensure the safety of the fry. The parental care exhibited by Blue Acaras is fascinating to observe. They will often move the fry to different locations within the tank to protect them from potential threats.
Author Note: During this process, your normally peaceful Electric Blue Acara will be more prone to aggression than normal. This is quite common but it’s worth being aware of.
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Raising the Fry
After the fry become free-swimming, they can be fed newly hatched brine shrimp or commercially available fry food. Regular water changes are essential to maintain water quality and promote healthy growth.
One aquarist shared their experience of finding approximately 60 Blue Acara fry in a community tank with red parrots and roseline sharks. They carefully transferred the fry to a separate 10-gallon tank. For fry, a simple air bubbler with a sponge filter is ideal, as a strong power jet may be too powerful for them. Baby brine shrimp is also a good food choice.
To prepare a tank for the fry:
- Set up a ten-gallon tank with a heater and sponge filter.
- Fill the tank with water from the main tank to match the existing water parameters (especially temperature).
- Wait until the fry are just starting to swim before introducing them to the tank.
Some aquarists recommend feeding crushed flakes or commercially available "first bites" to the fry.
Continued Care for Growing Fry
Another aquarist reported success in raising their fry, with at least 40 surviving to four weeks old. At this stage, the fry resemble small fish.
Common Diseases
There aren’t any diseases that are exclusive to this species of fish. Ich and skin fluke are two of the most common sicknesses that Electric Blue Acara might get.
Sexing
Sexing Blue Acaras can be tricky when they are young. As they mature, subtle differences between males and females become more apparent. Males typically have longer, more pointed dorsal and anal fins compared to females. Their fins may also exhibit more intense coloration and patterning. In contrast, females usually have shorter and rounder fins. It's difficult to accurately sex juveniles until they reach a size of at least 7-8 cm (around 3 inches) in length. Patience is key, as physical differences become more pronounced as they approach maturity. You can’t sex these fish until they are at least 3 inches (7-8 cm) in length. The male will have extended anal and dorsal fins.