Blue acara

Andinoacara pulcher

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH: 6.5–8.0
Adult size: 5.9 in (15 cm)
Minimum tank: 42 gal (160 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Origin: Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

Plan on a tank of around 160 liters, more for a pair plus tankmates. They're mostly peaceful for a cichlid and work in a community with similarly sized, sturdy fish, though they get territorial when breeding. Keep the water in the mid to high 20s C with a pH from slightly acidic up to alkaline. Feed quality pellets, frozen foods like bloodworms, and the odd bit of vegetable matter; they'll also dig, so anchor plants well.

In the wild

Blue acaras live in slow streams, pools, and rivers across Trinidad, Tobago, and northern Venezuela, often over sand and leaf litter with wood and rock for cover. The water ranges from soft and acidic to harder and neutral, which is part of why they adapt so easily. Give them a tank with open swimming space, some flat stones for spawning, and a few hiding spots.

Good to know

This is a cichlid in the family Cichlidae, reaching about 15 cm, with a stocky blue-green body covered in iridescent flecks. Pairs are monogamous and spawn on flat surfaces, with both parents tending the eggs and fry. They are fairly long-lived for a mid-sized cichlid. The species is not considered threatened.

Did you know

Blue acaras are good first cichlids because they pair off and raise young readily, even for newcomers. A bonded pair will clean a flat rock, lay eggs, and then guard and shepherd the fry together, giving you the full cichlid parenting display without a hard-to-keep species.