Tankwise

A hardy, peaceful-ish medium cichlid — one of the easier larger cichlids.

  • Temperature22–27 °C
  • pH6.5–8
  • Minimum tank120 L
  • DifficultyBeginner
FoodCichlid pellets + frozen
Feeding1–2 feeds a day
Water change25–30% weekly

Behaviour and habits

The blue acara is one of the calmer medium cichlids — intelligent, curious and peaceful for its size, though still a cichlid with a territory to defend. It pairs up and will fan eggs on a flat rock, turning territorial at spawning, and like most cichlids it will eat fish small enough to fit in its mouth. Given a large tank and firm, similarly sized companions, it is hardy, attractive and full of character.

What to feed, and how often

Omnivore: a good cichlid pellet plus frozen bloodworm, prawn and the odd vegetable. Feed once or twice a day, matching the amount to its size; a medium, fairly messy fish, it should not be overfed.

Water changes and maintenance

Change 25–30% weekly. It wants strong filtration and clean water, and keeping nitrate low helps avoid 'hole in the head', to which cichlids are prone.

Care and how easy it is

Hardy once settled, but it needs a large tank and tough, similarly sized tankmates rather than small fish.

Common health problems

Prone to ich and to 'hole in the head' when the water is poor; robust otherwise.

If it gets sick

Keep the water clean and stable, quarantine new fish, and treat early if a problem appears.

Good tank mates

GuppyBeginner with population planning
GuppyPoecilia reticulata
  • 22-26 C
  • pH 7.0-8.5
  • 60 L+; 60 x 30 cm base
Livebearers | Social; males pursue females | Omnivore
PlatyBeginner
PlatyXiphophorus maculatus
  • 20–26°C
  • pH 7–8.2
  • 50 L+
Livebearers · Peaceful · Omnivore
MollyBeginner
MollyPoecilia sphenops
  • 22–28°C
  • pH 7–8.5
  • 70 L+
Livebearers · Peaceful · Omnivore

Best avoided with

Similar species

AngelfishIntermediate; adult territory planning
AngelfishPterophyllum scalare
  • 24-28 C
  • pH 6.0-7.4
  • 200 L+ nominal; 100 x 40 x 50 cm; conditional pair-only plan
Cichlids | Territorial when pairing | Omnivore
Ram cichlidAdvanced
Ram cichlidMikrogeophagus ramirezi
  • 25–29°C
  • pH 5–7
  • 70 L+
Cichlids · Peaceful · Omnivore
KribensisIntermediate
KribensisPelvicachromis pulcher
  • 24–27°C
  • pH 6–7.5
  • 70 L+
Cichlids · Semi-aggressive · Omnivore

Compare at a glance

ParametersBlue acaraAngelfishRam cichlidKribensis
Parameters
Temp22–27 °C24–28 °C25–29 °C24–27 °C
pH6.5–86–7.55–76–7.5
GH6–20 °dGH2–12 °dGH1–10 °dGH5–15 °dGH
Min. tank120 L100 L70 L70 L
Size16 cm15 cm6 cm8 cm
DietOmnivoreOmnivoreOmnivoreOmnivore
TemperamentSemi-aggressiveSemi-aggressivePeacefulSemi-aggressive
DifficultyBeginnerIntermediateAdvancedIntermediate

Care guides

GuideHow Often Should You Feed Fish?Overfeeding causes more aquarium problems than underfeeding. Here is a realistic feeding routine, and the signs that you are giving too much.GuideHow Often Should You Change Aquarium Water?Water changes remove waste that the filter cannot, and keep minerals topped up. There is no single number, but there is a simple way to find yours.GuideHow to Treat Ich (White Spot Disease)Ich looks alarming but is one of the most treatable fish diseases. Act early, raise the heat, and it clears within a week or two — here is how.

New to the words? See the aquarium glossary.

Sources and research notes

Parameters are typical ranges for the species in home aquariums and vary with the individual fish and the water you use.