Owroewefi guianacara
Guianacara owroewefi
Also known as Suriname bandit acara, Blue bandit cichlid
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 77–84°F (25–29°C)
- pH
- 5.5–7.2
- Adult size
- 5.1 in (13 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 66 gal (250 L)
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Common
- Origin
- Suriname rivers
- Family
- Cichlidae
Overview
A sturdy masked acara that suits a rocky community tank. Keep a group of six or more in a 250 liter tank with boulders and crevices; they spawn in cracks and caves rather than in the open, and a group sorts itself into pairs with far less trouble than most cichlids. They are firm about a claimed crevice but not destructive. Feed sinking pellets and frozen foods.
In the wild
Guianacara owroewefi lives among boulders in the rivers of Suriname, in warm water that runs soft to neutral. Keep it at 25 to 29 degrees Celsius and pH 5.5 to 7.2, with stacked rock that leaves real crevices, plus sand between the stonework.
Good to know
Guianacara owroewefi reaches about 13 centimeters. The epithet comes from Sranan Tongo, the creole language of Suriname, where owroewefi means old wife, a local name for the fish carried straight into the scientific one. It is a cave and crevice spawner with biparental care.
Did you know
Owroewefi means old wife in Surinamese creole; taxonomy borrowed the riverbank's own joke.
Tank mates
Owroewefi guianacara is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.
Van Heurn's rainbowfish
Melanotaenia vanheurniFreshwater7.3 in (18.5 cm)66 gal (250 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Wolverine pleco
Hopliancistrus wolverineFreshwater7.9 in (20 cm)66 gal (250 L)81–88°F (27–31°C)Orange seam pleco
Hemiancistrus guahiborumFreshwater5.5 in (14 cm)66 gal (250 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)Tiraparae eartheater
Gymnogeophagus tiraparaeFreshwater4.7 in (12 cm)66 gal (250 L)61–79°F (16–26°C)
Immaculate barb
Systomus immaculatusFreshwater7.5 in (19 cm)66 gal (250 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Ogilbie's osteobrama
Rohtee ogilbiiFreshwater7.9 in (20 cm)66 gal (250 L)68–81°F (20–27°C)
Common questions
What size tank does an Owroewefi guianacara need?
An Owroewefi guianacara needs at least 66 gal (250 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH do Owroewefi guianacara need?
Owroewefi guianacara are comfortable at 77–84°F (25–29°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.2.
How big do Owroewefi guianacara get?
An adult Owroewefi guianacara reaches about 5.1 in (13 cm).
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
- Imperial Tropicals Freshwater fish and inverts bred at a Florida hatchery
- The Wet Spot Tropical Fish Large selection of quarantined tropical freshwater fish, with live arrival guarantee and Next Day Air flat rate shipping to all US locations
…or ask your local fish store.
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Related species
Bandit cichlid
Guianacara geayiFreshwater5.1 in (13 cm)40 gal (150 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Teardrop guianacara
Guianacara dacryaFreshwater5.5 in (14 cm)66 gal (250 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)
Longbody eartheater
Gymnogeophagus mekinosFreshwater5.1 in (13 cm)66 gal (250 L)61–79°F (16–26°C)
Slender buffalohead cichlid
Steatocranus tinantiFreshwater5.1 in (13 cm)24 gal (90 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Panama cichlid
Panamius panamensisFreshwater5.1 in (13 cm)42 gal (160 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)Piebald hap
Paralabidochromis chromogynosFreshwater5.1 in (13 cm)66 gal (250 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)