FishProfiles.com Message Forums

will a blue acara kill/attack clown loaches, bolivan rams, blue rams, or some aspitos. cuz im thinking that I want a pair of blue acaras and i have a plant pot in thank that nothin is liveing in and i want to know if it will be safe to have in that tank it is well planted with live plant.

Blue Acaras are extremelyl peaceful! Only time that you should have to worry about them is if they should ever breed. What size tank are we working with here? I wouldnt worry about them attacking clown loaches either.

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

Whaoa ... hold on a moment!

Blue Acaras, Aequidens pulcher, are robust fishes that reach 6 inches in length. They are capble of looking after themselves amidst some pretty tough companions - at least one other Board member has had one living alongside a Green Terror, and furthermore, the Blue Acara and the Green Terror mated and produced hybrid offsrping.

While they may be more easy going than the hardcore headbangers of the Cichlid world, a breeding pair will defend their territory and any eggs and fry produced with vigour. I would think twice about putting Blue Acaras in with smaller and peaceful fishes just in case the specimens in question turn out to be, shall we say, strongly motivated to defend a chosen patch ...the Apistogramma species in particular could come in for some heavy harassment if that situation arises.

Additionally, Blue Acaras can become diggers when they start breeding, and any plants in an aquarium containing them should be large, robust plants such as big Amazon Swords or Giant Vallisneria with well developed rootstocks that will withstand the excavation tendencies that these fishes can exhibit. However, if you can live with their excavation tendencies (the species is best described a 'variable' in this regard - some individuals will shift the odd bit of substrate, while others will become epic bulldozers) and their willingness to defend eggs and fry vigorously, then they can be extremely rewarding fishes, as they make superb parents, but that excellence of parental care comes with some of the usual Cichlid traits - unless the aquarium is large enough for them to adopt a territory while the other fishes have somewhere to stay out of the way of the Blue Acaras, then the attempted cohabitation you specify could work, but be prepared for some emergency rehousing just in case ...

Admittedly Blue Acaras aren't as bad as the likes of Hemichromis guttatus, which is an evil tempered berserker of a fish that takes no prisoners when breeding, but they are capable and muscular. If you have an alternative home for the Blue Acaras should they prove tp be troublesome, then you could run with this project, but I would advise caution here.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Really depends on the tank size, whic I will assume is a ggod size sine you have Clowns. IMO, a single acara will do fine with those tankmates. I would not try a pair, unless it is a large tank, or they might clear the tank of any mates they find as challenging. Acara's are fairly peaceful for a cichlid but as a pair they can be as dangerous as the best of em. Even as a pair I don't think they would mess with CL's.

By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
Socrates-
I happen to have become a philosopher

I raised acaras, and in the end I kept a trio of 1M/2Fs, and had no problems what so ever, in a 45 gallon tank! Were housed with multiple species during the time that Ikept them. I gave them their corner, with housings and get aways, and the stayed at the bottm, minding their own business. Yes, they are cichlids, and like most, if they should breed, then its territory that they want. Other than that, they are peaceful! Again reading the second post for this, most of their "viciousness" is arised during breeding and courting, should it get that far, if tank stats are appropriate! More than likely you will be getting juveniles, which is great to raise them up with what you listed first off. The males are beautiful and the females even have a sort of shimmer to them as well! Again, I would like to know yoru size of tank you will be housing themin. Just anchor down some of your plants, but I also had mine with plants, and they ignored them.. Again, to each fish is individually differnent. Good luck!

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

blue acaras can vary ether way,they can be niceand they can be meenthe 1 i have has partnered with a green terror,and they are in with,severums,convicts,salvini.and the blue acara is boss,and when they spawn,whhoo hooo.do they get aggressivethey have no trouble at all holding back the other tankmateshowever,when they arent spawning,ive found them to be great community fish,they never go out there way to start warfair.