Tank Mate For Electric Blue Acara: What Worked For You?

Other acaras, geophagus, severums, key holes, rainbow cichlid. All similar water parameters. Easy going. I like regular blue acaras better than EB anyway, and they look best against a dark background

 

Other acaras, geophagus, severums, key holes, rainbow cichlid. All similar water parameters. Easy going. I like regular blue acaras better than EB anyway, and they look best against a dark background

The OP has a 38g bowfront already stocked with a EBA. Geos and sevs will not work.

I have 6 eba (3 breeding pairs), and I keep them with bristlenose, gold nugget, green phantom, and snowball plecos, banjo catfish, clown loaches, s.petricolas, emerald corys, spotted and striped raphael, and silver hatchetfish (the least successful of them, I started with 17, and am down to 5 big ones (they seem to leave adult hatchets alone, even when they get near their eggs or fry.

the OP is asking what would be good in his 38g bowfront with his current EBA. Gold nuggt pleco, clown loaches , s.petricola , stripped Raphael will not work in his set up.

 

I keep an EBA male that's almost 5" so they can definitely get sizey.

I would look into some of the deep bodied tetra species that hit 2" or more. Check out diamonds, buenos aries, Columbian, and others along those lines.

If you're wanting another cichlid I would check out Bolivian Rams. I have a pair housed with my EBA in a 125g and they used to be together in a 75 gallon and I haven't seen as much as a nip from them. You might also look into another medium sized cichlid like Keyholes or Cupids. Another option would be Kribensis. They're a very peaceful West African cichlid with many different species that fall under that name.

As a side note, I would consider rehoming the pictus. They can get 5"+ and are very active.
He was a bit duller than his usual self since he was getting over being moved from a 75g. He's colored up quite a bit now.

 

I might try to find another EBA if I can sex it right.. the issue with my lfs is they like to take hybrids so its a crapshoot at what I really get. My EBA has a faint stripe like a normal blue acara so I don't know if he is a true eba or someones attenpt at breeding them

 

I might try to find another EBA if I can sex it right.. the issue with my lfs is they like to take hybrids so its a crapshoot at what I really get. My EBA has a faint stripe like a normal blue acara so I don't know if he is a true eba or someones attenpt at breeding them

It's a bit risky since there can be aggression between the two specimens but it's entirely possible to pull off.

 

I have kept a EBA with Angelfish, Bolivian Rams, Bronze Cories, Mollies, BN + Clown Pleco. In your tank I would do-
1 EBA
2 Bolivian Rams
1 Angelfish or Rainbow Cichlid
16 Rummynose Tetras
16 Bronze Cories
2 BN Pleco
5 Mollies(1 Male 4 Females)
Temp.-76'F
My EBA

36

• Lance0414
• Jun 2, 2017

36 Gallon on 5/14/17

 

The OP has a 38g bowfront already stocked with a EBA. Geos and sevs will not work.



the OP is asking what would be good in his 38g bowfront with his current EBA. Gold nuggt pleco, clown loaches , s.petricola , stripped Raphael will not work in his set up.

I don't think eba are really suited for the tank, either(maybe a female). There's always the possibility of an upgrade, but I was simply telling them what I keep with mine.

 

I have kept a EBA with Angelfish, Bolivian Rams, Bronze Cories, Mollies, BN + Clown Pleco. In your tank I would do-
1 EBA
2 Bolivian Rams
1 Angelfish or Rainbow Cichlid
16 Rummynose Tetras
16 Bronze Cories
2 BN Pleco
5 Mollies(1 Male 4 Females)
Temp.-76'F
My EBA

36

• Lance0414
• Jun 2, 2017

36 Gallon on 5/14/17

it's a chance you take with rummynose tetra , the EBA might look at them as snacks , as the OP also said they had Danios and their EBA ate then all

also 16 corys is little much IMO for a 38g bowfront that's only 25" long , a 55 gallon that's 48" I would only put 12-14 corys.

2 Clown Plecos in a 38g bowfront ??? not enough space.

I think it's to much for a 38g bowfront, remove the mollies , remove 1 Bn pleco, remove 6 corys , remove 4 rummynose then maybe you got yourself a stock.

I would do this in the 38g bowfront

1 EBA
2 Bolivian Rams
12-14 Diamond Tetras or Columbian Tetras
10 Corys
1 BN pleco

In a 55 gallon you would have the room(lenght) to put 3 deferent cichlids species but not in a 38g bowfront and honestly some may tell you that a 75 gallon would be the bare minimum to put 3 deferent cichlids species.

 

it's a chance you take with rummynose tetra , the EBA might look at them as snacks , as the OP also said they had Danios and their EBA ate then all

also 16 corys is little much IMO for a 38g bowfront that's only 25" long , a 55 gallon that's 48" I would only put 12-14 corys.

2 Clown Plecos in a 38g bowfront ??? not enough space.

I think it's to much for a 38g bowfront, remove the mollies , remove 1 Bn pleco, remove 6 corys , remove 4 rummynose then maybe you got yourself a stock.

I would do this in the 38g bowfront

1 EBA
1 Rainbow cichlid or 2 Bolivian Rams
12-14 Diamond Tetras or Columbian Tetras
10 Corys
1 BN pleco

In a 55 gallon you would have the room(lenght) to put 3 deferent cichlids species but not in a 38g bowfront and honestly some may tell you that a 75 gallon would be the bare minimum to put 3 deferent cichlids species.

Its 30inches (a little more but fir simplicity we will say 30. And I only have snails, EBA, Pictus, and a BN pleco. .

 

Its 30inches (a little more but fir simplicity we will say 30. And I only have snails, EBA, Pictus, and a BN pleco. .View attachment 334917

oops sorry I guess I was thinking of the tall bowfront which is even worst haha but I still wouldn't put 3 species of cichlids in a 30" tank it's mostly asking for problems.

I think a nice large school of wide bodied dithers and large school of bottom dwellers, you can do a bottom dwelling dwarf cichlid such as rams maybe a nice harem of them 1 male to 3 females.

I think it'll look great.

 

Just a heads up about the rummies. I learned the hard way that they aren't big enough for EBAs.

 

I never saw any aggression from any acaras I've owned. In fact, I had one brutalized by African cichlids early in my journey. Just don't house them with small fish.

 

I would recommend a firemouth cichlid and a rainbow cichlid. That's what I have and so far all I ever see them do is follow each other

 

I never saw any aggression from any acaras I've owned. In fact, I had one brutalized by African cichlids early in my journey. Just don't house them with small fish.

Acaras should not be kept with African Cichlids as they need different care and the Africans are more agressive.

 

Agreed with Jaxsco, EBA (atleast the males) don't stop at 4", they get to be a few inches over that (in adequate conditions).
A 30" inch tank is definitely too small for one, I wouldn't put them anything smaller than a 4ft. tank other than for temporary reasons, like breeding, quarantine, etc.

Also, just to dispel any confusion, I've kept angels with EBA before and they got along well, these guys aren't very aggressive during breeding either.
I'm not sure where whoever said that heard it, but it's possibly due to the fact that andionacara pulcher is often confused for andionacara rivulatus, a very aggressive relative.

Pictus catfish need a 75 gallon min, and as someone else already stated, they are very active and that 20 gallon at your LFS that he was previously in will have had barely less a footprint than a 36g bowfront, and would have had the same footprint had it been a 20 gallon long. Not much of a change space wise You'll continue to restrict and stunt him if you keep him.

Rummynose, or any other similarly sized schooling fish will be snacked on, but wider-bodied schoolers like lemon, or diamond tetras should be fine.
It's not so much to do with the length, as it does with the width of a fish that determines whether or not it becomes a snack, simple.
GIANT danios have worked for me in the past, they get large, and are very fast. Not sure whether you got yours young, or you got some other danio.

 

Agreed with Jaxsco, EBA (atleast the males) don't stop at 4", they get to be a few inches over that (in adequate conditions).
A 30" inch tank is definitely too small for one, I wouldn't put them anything smaller than a 4ft. tank other than for temporary reasons, like breeding, quarantine, etc.

Also, just to dispel any confusion, I've kept angels with EBA before and they got along well, these guys aren't very aggressive during breeding either.
I'm not sure where whoever said that heard it, but it's possibly due to the fact that andionacara pulcher is often confused for andionacara rivulatus, a very aggressive relative.

Pictus catfish need a 75 gallon min, and as someone else already stated, they are very active and that 20 gallon at your LFS that he was previously in will have had barely less a footprint than a 36g bowfront, and would have had the same footprint had it been a 20 gallon long. Not much of a change space wise You'll continue to restrict and stunt him if you keep him.

Rummynose, or any other similarly sized schooling fish will be snacked on, but wider-bodied schoolers like lemon, or diamond tetras should be fine.
It's not so much to do with the length, as it does with the width of a fish that determines whether or not it becomes a snack, simple.
GIANT danios have worked for me in the past, they get large, and are very fast. Not sure whether you got yours young, or you got some other danio.

I was that person that said it , what I said was angelfish and an EBA shouldn't be housed together in a 38g because their will be territorial disputes, and I wasn't mistaking them for green terrors. I'm not talking about a andionacara pulcher I'm talking about a EBA which is a hybrid of a andionacara pulcher and Electric blue ram , their for staying little smaller, regular male blue acaras can get as big as 8" but not EBA they stay smaller getting to 5-6" tops and 6" being rare.

A pictus catfish will only get 5" , the reason why they need such a large tank is because their a shoaling species and should be kept atleast 6+ and I also do agree it should be rehomed.

but I do agree with the rest.

 

I am well aware of the origin of the EB acara, but for the time being they are labled as andinoacara pulcher.

 

Agreed with Jaxsco, EBA (atleast the males) don't stop at 4", they get to be a few inches over that (in adequate conditions).
A 30" inch tank is definitely too small for one, I wouldn't put them anything smaller than a 4ft. tank other than for temporary reasons, like breeding, quarantine, etc.

Also, just to dispel any confusion, I've kept angels with EBA before and they got along well, these guys aren't very aggressive during breeding either.
I'm not sure where whoever said that heard it, but it's possibly due to the fact that andionacara pulcher is often confused for andionacara rivulatus, a very aggressive relative.

Pictus catfish need a 75 gallon min, and as someone else already stated, they are very active and that 20 gallon at your LFS that he was previously in will have had barely less a footprint than a 36g bowfront, and would have had the same footprint had it been a 20 gallon long. Not much of a change space wise You'll continue to restrict and stunt him if you keep him.

Rummynose, or any other similarly sized schooling fish will be snacked on, but wider-bodied schoolers like lemon, or diamond tetras should be fine.
It's not so much to do with the length, as it does with the width of a fish that determines whether or not it becomes a snack, simple.
GIANT danios have worked for me in the past, they get large, and are very fast. Not sure whether you got yours young, or you got some other danio.

This, for sure. A 30" tank might be doable but it'd be pushing it.

 

A pictus catfish will only get 5" , the reason why they need such a large tank is because their a shoaling species and should be kept atleast 6+ and I also do agree it should be rehomed.

Yes, but the OP has stated that his/her current pictus is very unsociable with it's own kind.

I've seen some BlochiI being sold as pictus cats, those will get larger and I believe are usually loners, could you post a picture? (to the OP)

 

This, for sure. A 30" tank might be doable but it'd be pushing it.

Its just short of 30.5 inches long. Its a smidge over 15 from front bow to back and 13 even at the ends. Its 21 inches tall. Footprint wise its the bows worth more than a 20l or 29 standard. Its also deeper. I had a 20l before this. The pictus doesn't shoal. It had killed off two batches (both its batch and the replacements) and so they put him in a tank with just a rubberlip. He had been around a while so I bought him. If he doesn't shoal and no one wants to buy him and hes already stunted I figure it has to be even a smidge better to give him 18 more gallon and some extra turn around room. The electric blue shouldnt exceed 6 inches. I haven't read any getting bigger and ive seen them in anything from a 29 by themselves on up so I'm not sure he is necessarily in too small a tank but adding a friend is hard at my current set up. Other than the pictus this tank and it inhabitants were what is left if my multiple tanks when my house flooded in May. I let go of a dojo, lost 3 silver dollars, let go if my convict tank, and lost all my life plant projects. If I ahouldnt add anyone else I wont, I don't think my acara will hurt anyone but the new fish might which is why I was curious what would behave with an EBA. (Just got home and trying to catch up on reading) measuring during feeding time hes about 4.2 inches from end to end and he is pretty thick. My brother has my fishes brother and his is about 5inches (much taller and thicker too) he raised his in a 25 half hex. I wasn't sure how that was going to go but he rules that tank. So I'm getting majority vote is don't add another cichlid unless its a dwarf species if that? I did get some good ideas for when I am able to upgrade. I literally have 30.5 in of wall available in our 1br apartment (we had a big house before and a tank room!) I had to turn the tank at an angle so it didnt pass the corner of the wall haha.

 

Its just short of 30.5 inches long. Its a smidge over 15 from front bow to back and 13 even at the ends. Its 21 inches tall. Footprint wise its the bows worth more than a 20l or 29 standard. Its also deeper. I had a 20l before this. The pictus doesn't shoal. It had killed off two batches (both its batch and the replacements) and so they put him in a tank with just a rubberlip. He had been around a while so I bought him. If he doesn't shoal and no one wants to buy him and hes already stunted I figure it has to be even a smidge better to give him 18 more gallon and some extra turn around room. The electric blue shouldnt exceed 6 inches. I haven't read any getting bigger and ive seen them in anything from a 29 by themselves on up so I'm not sure he is necessarily in too small a tank but adding a friend is hard at my current set up. Other than the pictus this tank and it inhabitants were what is left if my multiple tanks when my house flooded in May. I let go of a dojo, lost 3 silver dollars, let go if my convict tank, and lost all my life plant projects. If I ahouldnt add anyone else I wont, I don't think my acara will hurt anyone but the new fish might which is why I was curious what would behave with an EBA. (Just got home and trying to catch up on reading) measuring during feeding time hes about 4.2 inches from end to end and he is pretty thick. My brother has my fishes brother and his is about 5inches (much taller and thicker too) he raised his in a 25 half hex. I wasn't sure how that was going to go but he rules that tank. So I'm getting majority vote is don't add another cichlid unless its a dwarf species if that? I did get some good ideas for when I am able to upgrade. I literally have 30.5 in of wall available in our 1br apartment (we had a big house before and a tank room!) I had to turn the tank at an angle so it didnt pass the corner of the wall haha.

yep EBA won't get much bigger then 5" , some may get to 6" but that's pretty rare. I think a 40 gallon is suitable for an EBA but your not to off with a 38g, like I said from the beginning I think a pair of dwarf cichlids should be fine , also a school of large bodied dithers like Diamond Tetra or Columbian Tetras. It'll look more full.

 

How bout a school of Congo tetras? The males get big and very colorful. Very peaceful as well.

 

hI can I ask I have some electric blue acara can I keep regular blue acars and rainbow cichlids with them

 

hI can I ask I have some electric blue acara can I keep regular blue acars and rainbow cichlids with them

What size tank? Those are all peaceful S. american and C. american cichlids, they can be kept together provided they have enough space.

 

Have you thought about a kribensis?

 

327g 30x30x84

 

327g 30x30x84

that's big you can go in any direction you choose and have a big stocking list, try making a thread in the stcking section asking members for suggestion.

 

hI can I ask I have some electric blue acara can I keep regular blue acars and rainbow cichlids with them

If breeding the offspring will come out more like the normal blue acara rather than the EBA. But two EBA will breed true.

 

OH IM NOT INTO BREEDING I WAS JUST WORRIED THAT THE RAINBOWS AND NORMAL BLUE WILL BULLY THE ELECTRICAL

 

Not me personally, but the show tank in my LPS has several blue acara along with a severum, green terror, a few other unidentified American cichlids and several of the larger + more peaceful Africans (frontosa, peacock etc). There's also an assortment of bottom dwellers including several species of pleco, synodontis, loaches, and I believe there's a large pictus or two as well. When looked at closely, you can spot dozens of fry among the rocks.

I believe their success is due to the large tank, large number of inhabitants, and their hard-scaping (tons of lava rock(?))

I agree my blue works well in 40 gal community tank. Only aggressive when breeding.