The Electric Blue Acara is an extremely popular fish for fish keepers around the world.
It simply boils down to having a stunning fish to have light up your tank that is also relatively easy to care for.
The Electric Blue Acara looks exactly what it sounds like. It’s vibrant, almost neon-like blue colors are vibrant and bright. They’ll be a popular fish to gaze at for viewers of a tank it occupies.
They also pair well with other fish and are known to play nice and fit well into community tanks. If you find that your tank houses a large selection of other vibrant fish, you’ll create a tank that rivals artwork with its beauty.
They’re great for beginner and veteran fishkeepers alike. Although, they’re especially popular with those who are relatively new to the fish keeping scene because of their ease.
Species Profile Overview
You’ll find that the Electric Blue Acara offers many benefits to a tank without having to sacrifice much time and effort into adequately providing for it.
The fish hails from South and Central America and will be found in bodies of water without much water movement. You’ll find it in rivers, deep streams alike. They’re also known to be found in lakes that are near a tributary to provide them a small amount of water movement.
They’re different from the other members of the Cichlidae family. Typically, fish within this family are known to be hyper-aggressive and can be problem fish within their tanks. This will make other members of the Cichlidae family a hesitant addition for fish keepers.
However, the Electric Blue Acara breaks away from stereotypes and proves that some of these fish can be friendly and easy additions to a tank.
Typical Behavior
The Electric Blue Acara will play well with a large variety of tank mates.
They’re non-aggressive so you can expect them to play well with others and not cause issues regarding temperament. This is one of the highlights for those looking into this fish.
In general, the Electric Blue Acara is a curious fish. You’ll find it constantly exploring new areas of your tank and inspecting things that are out of the ordinary. This will cause constant movement and add another layer of interest to your tank.
Their curious nature drives them to be diggers. If you have sand or gravel on the bottom of your tank, you’ll often find your Electric Blue Acara rooting through them and digging for debris it may find interesting or for food.
This also means they’ll clear out a moderate amount of algae from the bottom of your tank. A fish that works for you is hard to beat.
However, this also means that your plants may be in danger if they’re known to be fragile. They’ll sometimes root around the base of plants and nibble at the stem. If you have a few special plants that are near and dear to you, keep an eye out for a hungry Electric Blue Acara.
They’re known to display mixed behavior depending on their mood. They can be social and outgoing. They can be seen rooting and actively exploring all regions of a tank.
At other times, they may be shy and timid. You might find them hiding under the cover and structures of your tank.
Appearance & Size
You’ll immediately recognize the Electric Blue Acara because of its stunning color that is impossible to miss.
The light blue, almost-neon color is extremely vibrant and will catch the eye of anyone simply glancing in the direction of your tank.
The color shines along with its scales throughout its entire body and will sometimes catch the reflection of light to create a dazzling effect.
When the scales are looked at in the right light and direction, they may display a green-yellow shine that adds to the wonderful coloration of this beautiful fish.
The edge of their dorsal fin comes equipped with a yellow-orange lining that pairs well with its electric blue coloring. The vibrant shades of yellow and orange starkly contrast against the largely blue colors of the fish. This creates an eye-popping effect and will wow anyone taking a look at your tank.
You and others may even find yourself staring in awe because of the unique color patterns of the Electric Blue Acara. It’s easy to lose yourself in the patterns and beauty it displays.
You’ll notice the color fades at the forehead. The underside of the fish from the dorsal fin to the bottom of their lip is devoid of any coloration and may look to be a whiteish-grey.
You’ll find that their general build is similar to that of other cichlids. They’re longer than they are wide and have a normal torso.
They’re rather small in stature. They grow to about seven inches long, but will often time be a little smaller than that. You’ll be able to house plenty of other fish besides the Electric Blue Acara.
The Ideal Tank Setup
You should always aim to produce an environment that is as close as possible to their natural habitat. Lucky for you, the slow-moving waters of South America and Central America aren’t difficult to replicate well within your tank.
Often, beginning fish keepers will stray toward gravel to line the bottom of their tanks. This is because it’s usually more easily accessible and promoted in supply stores.
However, when considering introducing an Electric Blue Acara into your tank, you should lean toward providing a sand substrate. The Blue Acara will often rummage and dig through the debris at the bottom of your tank. If you use gravel, it may become injured or hurt itself from the constant interaction against the sharp edges of the rock.
Beyond the substrate, it’s helpful to add a lot of structure and surfaces throughout your tank. Floating and potted plants are ideal so that your Blue Acara won’t nibble and tear the base of them.
Other good ideas include driftwood, caves, flat rocks, and other similar structures. This will provide the fish with adequate places to hide and relax when it’s not out exploring. It’ll also give the fish more of a ‘home’ within a tank.
Tank and Conditions
Ideal tank conditions aren’t complicated for the Electric Blue Acara but may be considered above average when compared to other fish.
The most important factor is providing proper water aeration. Use devices such as a powerhead filter to create a strong flow that can recreate the water movements of the lakes, streams, and rivers that it naturally habitats.
Water Parameters
If the water conditions aren’t adequate or are constantly fluctuating, you may cause an increase in stress on your Electric Blue Acara.
In the short term, you can expect this to disorientate the fish and cause it to be less active than usual. In the long term, this can bring out diseases and other harmful side effects that will plague your Blue Acara and other fish it shares the tank with.
With this in mind, you should be maintaining proper and consistent water conditions at all times for the benefit of all the fish in the tank.
Ideally, the water temperature should range from 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Whatever temperature you choose to remain, it must remain consistent. Fluctuating even within the ideal temperatures will still cause stress levels to rise in the Electric Blue Acara.
Regarding pH levels, the water should be somewhere between 7 and 7.5. Although, going up to 8 would be acceptable as well. They prefer a slightly acidic to a slightly alkaline range of pH levels.
The water hardness will be the least relevant water condition to maintain, but it can still be important. The Electric Blue Acara is a relatively tough fish and will thrive in water conditions where the water hardness can be a variety of levels.
They’ll do fine in soft as well as incredibly hard water. The water hardness should ideally range between 3dH up to 20dH. You’ll have a large range of water hardness to pick from, so consider optimizing it for other species of fish within your tank.
Electric Blue Acara Care
The Electric Blue Acara isn’t a difficult fish to care for if you keep your tank and water conditions in check consistently. They’re a non-aggressive fish and will be an exciting, eye-catching addition to your tank.
This has created a boom in the purchasing of Electric Blue Acara. If you’re new to fish keeping, this can be a great starter fish.
Here are some easy steps you can perform to provide a healthy and adequate environment for your Electric Blue Acara:
- Use a soft substrate such as sand rather than gravel to avoid any bruising to your fish
- Provide lots of structures and surfaces for exploration and housing
- Monitor your water conditions and keep them consistently within the recommended ranges
- Provide well-aerated water to mimic their natural habitat
- Don’t pair them with other fish who are aggressive as they aren’t adequately equipped to defend themselves.
What to Feed an Electric Blue Acara
As with all fish, providing the right diet will drastically affect your fish’s health.
The Electric Blue Cara is an omnivore, which is surprising considering it’s a relatively friendly fish.
However, they prefer small critters and other insects that are commonly found in their natural habitat. Ideal food options include small insects, brine shrimp, and bloodworms.
These types of food aren’t always the most convenient food to buy. It’s okay to skip traditional fish foods such as flakes and pellets, but it’s best to keep their diet varied for the best health.
This goes both ways as well. Don’t solely feed them protein-based foods, throw some flakes and pellets into their waters to give them nutrients that they wouldn’t otherwise get.
Because they’re omnivores, they’re used to a wide range of foods in the wild. You must replicate that as best as you can.
If your Electric Blue Acara is being poorly fed, you’ll easily notice. Their coloration and vibrant shades will begin to fade. Your once eye-popping beauty will be reduced to a pale form of what it used to be. If you notice this beginning to happen, take immediate action to provide a better quality of life.
It’s recommended to space their meals out into two meals per day. Avoid overfeeding and underfeeding by noting how long it takes your Electric Blue Acara to consume its meal.
Ideally, it should take only a couple of minutes to eat all the food that you’re providing it. If you find that it’s taking several minutes or mere seconds to devour a meal, you’re either underfeeding or overfeeding it.
Electric Blue Acara Tank Mates and Compatibility
You’ll have the option to have a wide variety of fish when considering the Electric Blue Acara for your tank.
Their peaceful nature will keep them from creating other problems with more aggressive or territorial fish.
Avoid pairing them with fish that are known to be aggressive as their small stature and structure don’t leave them with adequate tools to defend themselves from larger fish.
Ideally, you’ll want to pair it with other fish who are known to be peaceful as well.
It should be noted that the best tank mate for an Electric Blue Acara is another of it’s kind! This is great because you’ll be able to add a lot of excitement and color without worrying about having an aggressive fish in your community tank.
Ideally, you’ll want these fish paired. This will ensure that one Electric Blue Acara is alone and can be easily picked on by other fish.
If you don’t see the fish you were looking for on the list, don’t fret. This is a simple, shortlist that doesn’t cover all of the species that would be great tank mates.
If you have a species in mind that is a non-aggressive and peaceful fish, it’ll likely pair well with the Electric Blue Acara.
Breeding
The Electric Blue Acara is unlike most of their other relatives in terms of easily breeding them.
Often, other family members of the Electric Blue Acara are unable to breed in stereotypical tank conditions. They’ll normally be bred at commercial farms.
However, Electric Blue Acaras don’t have this problem.
Use a separate tank that’s purpose is solely for breeding. It should be at least 20 gallons and have a water temperature between 75 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Provide flat rocks and similar structures to give the fish a place to ay their eggs. In general, the flatter the surface the better for protecting the eggs.
Electric Blue Acaras aren’t shy about their mating, so you’ll be easily able to tell when a batch of eggs is on its way.
They’ll clear a spot at the bottom of the tank for their nest and you’ll be having your own baby Electric Blue Acaras!
Health Risks for the Electric Blue Acara
Like all fish, the Electric Blue Acara is susceptible to multiple types of diseases. However, there isn’t a disease that solely affects them. You’ll simply have to be on the lookout for the common diseases that plague all fish
These may include:
- Ich
- Skin fluke
These diseases and others are easily preventable by providing a high-quality and varied diet and maintaining proper water conditions.
In Summary
Overall, the Electric Blue Acara is a wonderful fish for anyone wanting to add a special flair to a single tank or a community tank.
They’re easy to care for and are perfect for beginners. Veterans will find pleasure in their beautiful colors and compatibility with many species of fish.
They’re one of the most popular fish in the world to find themselves in a hobbyist’s tank, and for good reason.
If you’re a beginner or veteran, the Electric Blue Acara is a fish that should never be overlooked.
