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Thread: Electric Blue Acaras

  1. #1
    Platinum Member Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Electric Blue Acaras

    In the past few years, Electric Blue cichlids have been popping up everywhere. I'm still unsure of how they're created. Electric blue rams, for instance, breed true. Electric blue Jack Dempseys do not, and they seem much more sensitive and temperamental.

    This summer, Electric Blue acaras started popping up on the market. Segrest Farms has imported three batches and they are slowly making their way into pet stores. I have always been a huge acara fan so I decided to give these a go. I'd love to see if they breed true like rams or if their genetics are more complicated like JDs. It would also be fun to cross them with regular blue acaras to see how exactly the genetics work.

    My only real concern with these fish is that no one can answer which "acara" they are. A lot of cichlids go by that name. Most would assume it's a morph of the blue acaras, Andinoacara pulcher, but I guess it could just as easily be something else. It also may be a mutt that has a mix of acara genes. As with most new morphs that come out of Asia, there aren't any answers and no one seems to be taking credit for them or talking about them.

    I got mine from Bluegrass Aquatics on Wednesday. They are a bit thin and I need to treat them for flukes (they're scratching on everything), but they are active, brave, and voracious eaters. Since they won't sit still for pictures, here are a couple videos:



    For those that have never seen true blue acaras, they are a handsome little cichlid. See notho2000's young pair here: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/fo...Young-For-This

  2. #2
    Platinum Member Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    Here's another (better) video of them eating micropellets.


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    Registered Member jmf3460's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    Ryan,

    Are these considered comparable in personality/aggression level to the ram cichlid? Would they be suitable tankmates in a discus tank or in a community tetra tank? Perhaps in an Angel tank?
    ~JACKLYN~

  4. #4
    Platinum Member Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    They grow larger than rams (about 5 - 6") and are more aggressive. They'd do well with other medium cichlids and maybe large tetras, but their aggression at feeding and breeding time would probably be something you'd want to avoid in a discus tank.

    I did keep them with adult angels in the past. They may still get a bit too pushy for angels if they decided to spawn.

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    Registered Member joanstone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    Acara's are beautiful fish and these look very nice. It'll be interesting to watch them grow, see how they turn out.
    Joan

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    Platinum Member Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    Joan, my hope is that they look like giant Electric Blue rams. But from some of the pictures I've seen of the older ones, the blue color darkens as they age. It may also have a lot to do with substrate/background color so we'll see what happens when I put them in a darker tank. The community tank I have in mind for them is a 150 with a black background.

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    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    Ryan, these are pretty little fish. Sort of a shame they can not be with discus. I would be tempted. I hope they develop as you hope.
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


  8. #8
    Platinum Member Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    You could probably keep a single one with older discus. Blue acaras are not known for being terribly aggressive. The problem arises when any SA cichlid goes into spawning mode. Even the smallest dwarf cichlids turn into little terrors when they have eggs/fry. I have kept single young severums with discus in the past and had no issue, so I don't see why it couldn't work for a blue acara. You just have to take into account their eating habits (as you see, they put away food pretty quickly.. that was their first time trying pellets at my house and they didn't even hesitate). Hogging all the food away from discus is the main reason most SA cichlids aren't a good mix in a discus tank, unfortunately.

  9. #9
    Homesteader DiscusLoverJeff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    Those are nice looking Ryan. Too bad they get so big. I can see what you are saying about the aggresion. The smaller cousin to these, the rams, get aggresive when spawing and push my large discus away.
    DiscusLoverJeff

    Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
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  10. #10
    Registered Member joanstone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    Quote Originally Posted by Ryan View Post
    Joan, my hope is that they look like giant Electric Blue rams. But from some of the pictures I've seen of the older ones, the blue color darkens as they age. It may also have a lot to do with substrate/background color so we'll see what happens when I put them in a darker tank. The community tank I have in mind for them is a 150 with a black background.
    It sounds like that will be a beautiful tank, can't wait to see it.
    Joan

  11. #11
    Registered Member joanstone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    How're these guys doing?
    Joan

  12. #12
    Platinum Member Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    Hi Joan,

    The fish got ich in their second week here. It's not too uncommon for small cichlids shipped this time of year. The cooler temps and the stress from shipping (not to mention the thousands of fish that are probably passing through the wholesaler's place from all over) seem to make them more susceptible to it. I talked to a handful of other people with electric blue acaras and theirs got ich, too. I did a seven-day heat and salt treatment and it disappeared before it ever got bad; it was never more than a couple spots on the fins. This is why we quarantine, everyone! They're in their final week of elevated heat now, then I'll gradually drop it and eventually move them to a 55 for some more growing out.

    They're always extremely active. This is partly from the high heat, though they were like this when I first got them and put them in QT at 82F. They never sit still and they are always hungry. As you can see, their bellies have filled out since I got them three weeks ago. The yellow stripe in the dorsal is also a lot brighter and more prominent now. Overall they're turning into really pretty little guys. I can't wait to get them in a community tank in my living room (though it may take some time as they're still only about 2.5").



    (The quality is a lot better if you watch it in HD, 720p or 1080p)
    Last edited by Ryan; 10-12-2013 at 02:40 AM.

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    These guys really do look alot like elec blue rams at this size...I've been following your threads on these fish on MFK. Anxious to see an adult fish, if a pic ever slips out!

  14. #14
    Registered Member joanstone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    I've been thinking about these since the first post, just never clicked on them at Bluegrass. I stopped in at my LFS and what do you know--there they were! I bought 3, then thought about it on my way home (2 hours away) and decided to have them hold the other 3 for me until I'm back up there on Sunday.
    Joan

  15. #15
    Platinum Member Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Electric Blue Acaras

    Exciting. Just don't put them with discus.

    Watch them for ich -- the ones that have been through LFS and wholesalers are really prone to it now with the dropping temperatures. If you see it, heat and salt for a week will cure it.

    Otherwise they are usually pretty active and hungry all the time. Mine never stop moving.

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