Electric Blue Acara Breeding Behavior: All Things You Need To Know

In recent years, the electric blue acara has been the ideal choice for many worldwide aquarists, especially cichlid lovers. In addition to its endowed beauty, it is also one of the peaceful fish that get along well with a community tank.

In terms of electric blue acara breeding behavior, these fish easily pair up and often breed in captivity. Keep reading for more information.

Electric Blue Acara Breeding Behavior 

Electric Blue Acara breeding is something that many fish keepers can do. Unlike most of their relatives, their mellow nature plays a large part in the high success rate that fish keepers have with them.

[display-posts id=”4275″ image_size=”thumbnail” posts_per_page=”1″]

Behavior

These fish are monogamous and pretty simple to breed in captivity. They’re egg layers that deposit their eggs on flat surfaces, like a flat rock on the substrate.

Sexually mature fish is usually two to three inches long, but most will start breeding at around four inches. These fish that are kept in good condition can spawn a few times yearly.

As these fish get close to spawning time, the male and female will display to each other more frequently till they are ready to spawn.

Spawning Tank

You should prepare a breeding tank that is at least 20 gallons. The water tank should be between neutral and mildly acidic, with a pH ranging from 6.5 to 7.0. 

Meanwhile, the hardness of the water should be between 3 and 12 dGH. The water temperature is recommended between 73°F and 79°F.

We suggest covering the bottom of your tank with a sandy substrate, then placing many flat rocks on top to create a breeding ground for your acaras.

[display-posts id=”4071″ image_size=”thumbnail” posts_per_page=”1″]

Each female can lay 150 to 200 eggs at a time. Then both parents will care for and protect the eggs and the fry.

The eggs are incubated for about 3 days until the fry hatch and start hunting.

Although the fry can be protected by either male or female, they will stay close to their mother for the first two weeks of life.

Habitat Requirements for Electric Blue Acara

• Lighting

Blue acaras prefer medium lighting levels, and it is alright to use floating plants to diffuse the light if needed.

• Water Temperature

The water temperature in your tank should be between 72°F to 85°F, and 75°F to 76°F is optimal.

• Filtration

These fish are relatively large and typically inhabit bodies of water where the flow is quite strong. Hence, invest in extra powerheads or a canister filter to produce a powerful enough circulation.

• Water Hardness And pH Range

The water hardness should range from 6 to 20 dGH, and the pH level should be between 6.0 and 7.5.

[display-posts id=”3908″ image_size=”thumbnail” posts_per_page=”1″]

Tank Requirements 

Providing your acaras with an environment that closely reflects their preferred wild habitat will help keep them free from stress, which is highly harmful to aquarium fish and is known to weaken the animal’s immune system.

Aquarium Size

Blue acaras are relatively large and require a lot of swimming space, so the minimum tank size should be 30 gallons. 

The best aquarium shape for these fish is long instead of tall. It will provide your acaras with enough space to swim.

Moreover, a long aquarium has more surface area than a tall tank, making for the greater oxygenation that these fish prefer.

Aquarium Setup

• Substrate

These acaras don’t like to burrow, so it is essential to provide them with a soft, sandy substrate instead of hard gravel that could injure them.

Ideally, use a dark-colored substrate, which can show off the fish’s stunning, metallic coloration for the best effect.

• Decorations

These fish prefer caves or areas of dense planting where they allow them to hide when feeling stressed.

Hence, we recommend including some resin caves or rockwork in your tank and arranging some driftwood to form extra hiding places for your fish.

It is also a good idea to include live plants in the tank and use vegetation for shade and cover.

But Acaras are diggers and typically root plants, so you should use potted plants that aren’t easily dislodged. 

• Dried Leaves

In the natural habitat of these fish, the substrate is typically covered by leaf litter. It is easy to replicate this in your home tank by adding a layer of dried leaves to the aquarium.

[display-posts id=”3236″ image_size=”thumbnail” posts_per_page=”1″]

FAQs 

What Is the Origin of the Electric Blue Acara?

These beautiful fish are found in the South and Central regions of South America, Columbia, Venezuela, and Trinidad.

What Does an Electric Blue Acara Look Like?

Blue acaras feature a typical, oval body shape with pointed anal and dorsal fins. What sets these fish apart is their remarkably vibrant coloration.

What Are Tankmates for Electric Blue Acara?

South American cichlids of a similar size to these fish can make tankmates. 

Peaceful bottom dwellers, such as Corydoras catfish or plecos are alright. Other suitable members include  Pearl Cichlids, Discus, Uaru Cichlids, Angelfish, etc.

Where Can I Buy Electric Blue Acara?

You can buy these fish at some local fish stores. The price is $6 and $15 for a specimen.

[display-posts id=”3181″ image_size=”thumbnail” posts_per_page=”1″]

How to Feed Electric Blue Acara?

These fish are omnivorous, so their wild diet is meaty protein. In the natural environment, they are predatory and eat crustaceans, worms, and insects. 

How Often Do Electric Blue Acaras Breed?

Pairs of blue acaras that are kept in optimum conditions can spawn a few times every year.

How Can You Tell if a Blue Acara Is Male or Female?

In the males, the fins are longer than those of the females, and the rays of the anal and dorsal fins usually arch around the caudal fin.

How Long Does It Take for Electric Blue Acara Eggs to Hatch?

It typically lasts from three to seven days.

How Many Should Blue Acara Be Kept Together?

Remember to tack on 15 extra gallons for every new individual you want to keep.

Final Thoughts

Here’s everything you need to know about electric blue acara breeding behavior. Hopefully, this post is useful to you.

We’d love to hear from our readers. So let us know what you think through the comments section below. Thank you, and see you in our next update!