Electric Blue Acara and Angelfish - 40 Breeder

So, I'm moving the inhabitants of my 29 gallon to a 40 breeder in the next 3-4 weeks - still need to set up the breeder and get it cycled, etc. - and I am planning.

I wanted to add a second Angelfish, but the more I read, the more that sounds like a total " shoot" and I just don't want to risk my boy getting injured. He's a lovely black veil-tail. That said, the more I research for another interesting tank mate, the more I keep thinking an Electric Blue Acara would be an interesting choice.

Here's what I have in the 29: 1 Angel (3 years old - king of the tank), 2 Bolivian Rams, 3 Corydoras Aeneus, 2 Otos, 2 Glowlight Tetras (can be rehomed if the EBA would eat them into my 9 Gallon Fluval Flex), 1 KuhlI Loach (>15 years old, just living out his life), and 4 Mystery Snails.

Do any Cichlid people think adding an EBA to this mix would lead to disaster? I do plan to flesh out the Corydoras population to around 8-10 in addition. Thanks.

 

I have just got some blue Acaras and I’ve read a lot of people saying don’t keep Acaras with angels. Others that have kept them together might be able to give more information but that’s what I keep reading. I don’t have angels so it’s not an issue for me

 

I have just got some blue Acaras and I’ve read a lot of people saying don’t keep Acaras with angels. Others that have kept them together might be able to give more information but that’s what I keep reading. I don’t have angels so it’s not an issue for me

It’d be one of each.

 

An Acara might well challenge the Angel to be boss of the tank and you might not like the Angel's fins being ripped up.

I can't imagine Acaras being nice to Bolivian Rams either, though I have not kept these together.

If you definitely have room and want more fish I'd suggest choosing more subordinate types that don't challenge the Angel.

 

I am about to move my bolivian ram to another tank because my regular blue acara is too aggressive towards it. My angel on the other hand holds its own against the acara.

But all cichlids personalities are different so you just need a back up plan in case aggresion gets out of control.

 

Back up plan. A truer word was never spoken when keeping cichlids.

 

As I've experimented with different fish over the last almost year, I've found that seniority in the tank counts more often than not. If you buy a 2nd Angel fish, if it's a similar size or smaller than the original, the 2nd could very well be bullied. To what extent? That's up to the fish. If the 1st Angel has been top dog for long enough,, it may not want the 2nd there at all. If it's content just being top dog, but allowing another, it will just bully to the point of that.

As for Acaras and Bolivians, I have 2 EBAs and 1 Bolivian (plus 2 GBRs) in a 55 and they all are fine with each other. The EBAs act as if they don't really care, good or bad, about any other fish. The Bolivian was a little shy for a week or so, but is absolutely fine now. The GBRs are a pair and are great, but to my first point, they were the first of all of those in the tank.

As for adding a EBA to a tank with 1 or 2 Angel...that's probably more of a roll of the dice in my experience. In having kept EBA, Angels, and Bolivians (not all at once), to me the most inconsistent of those three are the Angels.

 

Hmm..
Agree a roll of the dice on the Angel. I breed and raise Bolivians and EBA. Kept together with no real problems except when breeding, even then no real damage has occurred, but...
Even now I have some EBA with Discus. They basically are oblivious to eachother, except as mentioned when breeding.

Just my .02.

Good Luck!

Learning all the Time.

 

As I've experimented with different fish over the last almost year, I've found that seniority in the tank counts more often than not. If you buy a 2nd Angel fish, if it's a similar size or smaller than the original, the 2nd could very well be bullied. To what extent? That's up to the fish. If the 1st Angel has been top dog for long enough,, it may not want the 2nd there at all. If it's content just being top dog, but allowing another, it will just bully to the point of that.

As for Acaras and Bolivians, I have 2 EBAs and 1 Bolivian (plus 2 GBRs) in a 55 and they all are fine with each other. The EBAs act as if they don't really care, good or bad, about any other fish. The Bolivian was a little shy for a week or so, but is absolutely fine now. The GBRs are a pair and are great, but to my first point, they were the first of all of those in the tank.

As for adding a EBA to a tank with 1 or 2 Angel...that's probably more of a roll of the dice in my experience. In having kept EBA, Angels, and Bolivians (not all at once), to me the most inconsistent of those three are the Angels.

Right, so this'll be a new tank that will be "new" to all of the inhabitants. I am moving the existing community over. Do you think that'll make a difference if I add the EBA when I introduce the rest of the community to the tank? I do have a backup. The LFS is very willing to take the EBA back, and I'll have a tank up temporarily that I can move it to if things go south quickly, the 29 that everyone's coming from.

I am about to move my bolivian ram to another tank because my regular blue acara is too aggressive towards it. My angel on the other hand holds its own against the acara.

But all cichlids personalities are different so you just need a back up plan in case aggresion gets out of control.

I don't think I'd roll with a regular Acara, but the EBA is a hybrid and apparently has more Ram-like behavior.

 

So, to conclude this, I just got the 40 gallon up and running. It's not enough room to add an EBA to my Angel and Bolivian Rams. Well, it was worth a thought. I really like the room they all have now, though, and adding another larger fish would cause too much traffic.