Electric Blue Acara

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Semi-Aggressive   • Maximum Size: 5"
• Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons   • Water Conditions: 74-84° F, pH 5.5-7.0, KH 1-5
• Diet: Omnivore   • Origin: Selective bred, Farm Raised   • Family: Cichlidae
• Species: Aequidens   • Aquarium Type: Cichlid-New-World

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Electric Blue Acara are a product of forced hybridization, which is the process of combing the eggs from a female fish with the sperm of a genetically similar donor male species. Which in the case of Blue Acara is easy to do as they lay eggs that are externally fertilized. In the case of Electric Blue Acara, Asian fish farms were able to fertilize Blue Acara eggs with the sperm from the genetically similar Electric Blue Ram. The resulting fertilized eggs are then hatched and raised in a lab, where the resulting offspring are then line bred in order to stabilize the recessive trait.

Like the Electric Blue Ram, the Electric Blue Acara will breed true with all of the fry exhibiting electric blue coloration. If cross bread with a typical Blue Acara, you will end up with 100% normal Blue Acara who carries a recessive electric gene. This is good for the long term health of the species, as wild Blue Acara can be bred back into the gene pool while still maintaining plenty of electric blue offspring.

Adult Electric Blue Acara will do well in aquariums that are at least 30 gallons, which should ideally have either a fine sandy substrate or small size gravel substrate, contain multiple places where they can find shelter like driftwood, rock structures, or dense vegetation and areas of both diffused and bright lighting.

Electric Blue Acara will appreciate planted aquariums that simulate their native environment, but have been known to dig some while breeding which can cause some uprooting in plants that are not well established. Electric Blue Acara have become quite popular within a short time due not only to their brilliant coloration, but due to their good temperament and ability to fit in well in a variety of aquarium environments.

They can peacefully coexist with all but the smallest most shy fish or largest most aggressive fish, which makes them an excellent addition to most hobbyists aquariums. It should be noted that they will become more aggressive during breeding, thus mated pairs will not be suitable for community aquariums with smaller tank mates.

Electric Blue Acara may bully or even eat very small fish like Neon Tetra, but can be kept with most all types of community fish larger than 2 inches (5 cm) in length. Overall they are a hardy, colorful, moderately sized, long lived and full of personality community Cichlid species.

The Electric Blue Acara is an omnivore and should be fed a variety of foods, such as frozen or freeze-dried brine shrimp, bloodworms, blackworms, flake food, and Cichlid pellets. They also relish live food and should occasionally be provided with live white worms, brine shrimp, or other similar items. Best to feed 2 to 3 times a day an amount of food that they will consume within a few minutes.

Electric Blue Acara are dimorphic, egg layers who practice brood care and renown for being excellent parents to their young fry. To induce breeding and sustain the ideal breeding environment, the water temperature should be raised to and maintained at about 86° F.

The female Electric Blue Acara will lay from 150-250 eggs in a carefully cleaned and selected location, which generally consists of a hard surface like a smooth rock, slate, shell or clay pot. The eggs will hatch within 2-3 days and the fry should be swimming around within a week.

A pair of Electric Blue Acara will continue to breed every few weeks if the fry are constantly removed shortly after they hatch. The newly hatched fry can be fed a diet of baby brine shrimp, crushed flake, crushed pellet or similar fare and then moved to other foods as they mature.