Acora festivum
Mesonauta acora
Also known as Acora flag cichlid
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 5.5–7.2
- Adult size
- 4.7 in
- 12 cm
- Minimum tank
- 66 gal
- 250 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Substrate spawner · Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Tocantins and Araguaia basins
Overview
The Acora festivum is a calm, mostly peaceful flag cichlid. It hangs in the middle of the tank, often nose-up among tall plants and wood, and is best with a little cichlid experience.
Did you know
The Acora festivum is told from its commoner relatives by the exact line of its dark band and by fine fin details. It is considered one of the rarest flag cichlids in the hobby.
Caring for the Acora festivum
Give the Acora festivum a planted tank of at least 66 gal (250 L) with plenty of vertical cover. Tall plants, roots, driftwood and a dark substrate suit it and let its colors settle. It also does well in water stained with tannins from leaf litter or driftwood.
Keep the water warm, soft and slightly acidic, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.2. Feed a varied omnivore diet of quality flake and pellets, plus frozen foods such as bloodworm and brine shrimp. Add the occasional bit of blanched vegetable.
The Acora festivum does not need a group, so keep it singly or as a pair rather than a shoal. It can be shy or nippy around the wrong company, so choose tank mates with some care. Steady, similarly sized community fish suit it better than boisterous or very small ones. It might chase small fish, and boisterous ones might outcompete it for food.
It is a substrate spawner that lays its eggs on a firm surface, such as a leaf or branch. Both parents guard the brood, and breeding is moderately difficult.
Good to know
The Acora festivum is a laterally compressed, disc-shaped cichlid, built for weaving between plant stems. Its clearest mark is a dark diagonal band from the snout through the eye toward the top of the dorsal fin. That band gives the flag cichlids their name.
In the wild
The Acora festivum lives in slow, often blackwater-stained backwaters of the Tocantins and Araguaia drainages in Brazil. It hangs among submerged branches and stem plants near the surface.
Common questions
What size tank does an Acora festivum need?
An Acora festivum needs at least 66 gal (250 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does an Acora festivum need?
An Acora festivum is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.2.
What does an Acora festivum eat?
An Acora festivum eats a varied omnivore diet of quality flake and pellets. Add frozen foods such as bloodworm and brine shrimp, and the occasional bit of blanched vegetable.
How big does an Acora festivum get?
An adult Acora festivum reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).
How does an Acora festivum breed?
An Acora festivum lays its eggs on a firm surface such as a leaf or branch, and both parents guard the brood. Breeding it is moderately difficult.
Related species
4.7 in (12 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Colombian festivum
Mesonauta egregius
4.7 in (12 cm) · 66 gal (250 L)
4.7 in (12 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Peruvian festivum
Mesonauta mirificus
4.7 in (12 cm) · 66 gal (250 L)
4.3 in (11 cm)32 gal (120 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Guyana festivum
Mesonauta guyanae
4.3 in (11 cm) · 32 gal (120 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)37 gal (140 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Flag cichlid
Mesonauta festivus
5.9 in (15 cm) · 37 gal (140 L)
4.7 in (12 cm)34 gal (130 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)Banded acara
Bujurquina vittata
4.7 in (12 cm) · 34 gal (130 L)
4.7 in (12 cm)25 gal (95 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Blockhead cichlid
Steatocranus casuarius
4.7 in (12 cm) · 25 gal (95 L)