Neon Blue ACARA

Acara – Neon Blue – 3cm

The Neon Blue Acara is a very colorful freshwater fish in the cichlid family. This fish can be found in various freshwater habitats, ranging from standing water to flowing streams, in Venezuela and Trinidad. They can reach lengths of 16 cm and have become quite popular within a short time. Their popularity is mostly due to their brilliant coloration and to their good temperament. They fit in well in a variety of aquarium environments.

Behaviour

They are very curious fish – this can be seen by their love to dig into the substrate. Given their passion for burrowing, they will usually be found near the bottom or middle of the tank but they may sometimes swim up to the surface, but that would only be on rare occasions.  The swimming behavior of these fish is a healthy mix of hiding and swimming around. You will see them swimming around as well as navigating through the plants in the tank.  Maternal care in this species deserves a special mention too. The mother acts like most mammals and will bring food to give to the offspring. This is quite unusual for most other fish.

Tank Conditions:

Acara 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.  Adult Neon Blue Acara will do well in aquariums that are at least 120 litres, which should ideally have either a rounded gravel, large even grains of sand substrate or small size gravel substrate.  Since they will dig in the substrate, it’s important that it be smooth and not abraide their mouths, the type of the substrate doesn’t really matter, as much as the shape. The tank should contain multiple places where they can find shelter like driftwood, rock structures, or dense vegetation and areas of both diffused and bright lighting.

Given that these species will be kept in a pretty large planted tank, there should be a nice aeration and filtration system. A normal filter on a medium-high setting would do the job just fine.The lighting will depend on the number and type of plants you decide to get. Usually a normal aquarium lamp will suffice. Just make sure that the lighting does not disturb the natural cycles of your fish.

Compatibility

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

Neon Blue Acaras can definitely be kept together and it is better to keep them in pairs or in groups of at least six.

Feeding

Acara are 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.

Care

Acaras are pretty sturdy and rarely develop severe illnesses. Of course, there are still things you need to pay attention to.

First of all, good water quality is extremely important. Dirty water will result in sickness, so you need to make cleaning your tank a regular routine. About 20-30% of water should be renewed weekly.  Clean the substrate and tank itself every 3-4 weeks too.

Second, keeping these fish in a small tank can result in problems with their digestive system, which in turn makes them seem exhausted and disturbs their natural feeding behavior.  While they are not very greedy, overeating can still be a major issue if feeding is not carried out properly. If you notice fish swimming strangely (tilting to the side, or very slow) they most likely ate too much. Give them a break for a day or so to process everything.