I'm getting a blue acara!!!!

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QTOFFER

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Nov 11, 2003
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4,295
Location
Kew Gardens, NY
After alot of reading, I've decided to get away from the 58 gal peaceful community tank (see my sig) and go for some colorful, semi-aggressive cichlids. My 36 inch long, 58 gal tank is mature and cycled. My first new acquisition will be a single blue acara (Aequidens pulcher). Tankmates I am considering include one firemouth (Thorichthys meeki), one green or gold severum (Heros serverus), one rainbow cichlid (Herotilapia multispinosa), one festivum (Cichlasoma festivum), and a pleco (L-134, L-18, L-34, or L-144a)

I am running an Eheim 2026 filter and I change 50% of the water once a week. I don't think that the six fish I have in mind will overcrowd the tank, but please say something if you think otherwise. I plan to introduce each new fish at two week intervals so as not to overburden the biofilter. Also, I am not anticipating too much aggression since I will not be having any breeding pairs.

I've made alot of changes in my 58 gal tank. I built LOTS of caves and ledges with picturerock sandstone and petrified wood. I also slowly changed out the substrate from a light-colored fluorite gravel to dark brown river pebbles. The silk plants are gone - they were looking crappy anyway - and the remaining tall plastic plants are concentrated in a corner near the filter intake and heater.

The danios and tetras currently in the 58 gal will go into a heavily planted 7 gal. The corys will go into my 15 gal betta tank.
 
I have experience with both Aequidens pulcher and Thorichthys meeki, and they are great fish. Mine are quite peaceful, and show little to now aggression. Unfortunately I can't say the same about my Dempsey. Make sure its really Aequidens pulcher and not Aequidens rivulatus, they look very similar and the terror does not share the same peaceful attitude as the acara.
 
Endgame319 said:
Make sure its really Aequidens pulcher and not Aequidens rivulatus, they look very similar and the terror does not share the same peaceful attitude as the acara.

So I've heard. On the cichlid forums, ppl have proposed that the mean and nasty acaras out there may actually be green terrors or perhaps a hybrid between the two. Believe me, I'm going to buy this fish from a shop that really knows their livestock!
 
And for your own sake...as well as the sake of every other fish in the tank...do NOT get Aequidens festae, the Red Terror. They make Green Terrors look like sissies!!!
 
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