Electric Blue Acara
Andinoacara pulcher
Also known as: Electric blue acara, Blue acara (electric blue form), EBA
Quick Facts
- Adult size: 15-18 cm (6-7 inches)
- Minimum tank size: 200 litres (53 gallons)
- Lifespan: 8–10 years
- Temperament: semi-aggressive
- Swimming level: middle-and-bottom
- Diet: omnivore
- Minimum group size: 1
- Difficulty: intermediate
Water Parameters
- Temperature: 22–28°C
- pH: 6.5–8
- Hardness (GH): 89–357 ppm (5–20 dGH)
Values above are general hardness (GH). For carbonate hardness (KH), the buffer that keeps pH stable, see the water parameters guide.
Care Summary
A hardy, good-natured cichlid and one of the most popular in the hobby, the electric blue acara is a selectively-bred colour form of the South American blue acara, washed in a soft, glowing metallic blue from nose to tail. Reaching around 15 to 18cm, it has a well-earned reputation as a gateway cichlid: forgiving of a wide range of water, happy anywhere from 22 to 28 degrees, and generally peaceful for its size, though it turns territorial when breeding and will eat small fish and shrimp. It appreciates a sandy bottom it can sift, some caves and wood, and a tank with real floor space. Undemanding to feed on quality pellets with frozen and live treats, it suits a community of robust, medium-sized tankmates. A genuinely rewarding first cichlid for a keeper ready to step up from a nano community.
Tankmates
A peaceful-for-a-cichlid fish that suits a community of robust, medium-sized tankmates such as larger rainbowfish, silver dollars, denison barbs, bristlenose, and calm cichlids like keyhole cichlids. It will eat anything small enough to fit in its mouth, so skip neon tetras, nano fish, and dwarf shrimp. Give it floor space and a sandy substrate it can sift. It turns territorial when breeding, so provide line-of-sight breaks, and avoid hyper-aggressive cichlids that will bully it.
Compatible with
- Boeseman's Rainbowfish
- Congo Tetra
- Silver Dollar
- Bristlenose Pleco
- Bronze Corydoras
- Denison Barb
- Pearl Gourami
- Keyhole Cichlid
Avoid keeping with
- Neon Tetra
- Cherry Shrimp
- Chili Rasbora
- Large Cichlids
- Aggressive Tankmates
Common Problems
- eating small fish and dwarf shrimp that fit in its mouth
- territorial aggression when breeding
- an oversized waste load that needs strong filtration
- ich if kept too cool, as this strain is prone to it
- being sold tiny and outgrowing a nano tank
Sources: seriouslyfish.com, fishbase.org · Last updated: 2026-10-13