For many years, the blue-spotted acara (lat. Andinoacara pulcher) was one of the most popular cichlids in South America, kept in the aquarium by many generations of aquarists.
It’s not for nothing that her name in Latin means “beautiful” (pulcher). The bluish-spotted acara is often confused with another, related species, the turquoise acara. But there are significant differences between them.
Turquoise acara is larger and in nature can reach a size of 25-30 cm, while blue-spotted acara reaches 20 cm.
A sexually mature male Turquoise Acara develops a noticeable fatty bump on the head, while a male Blue-spotted Acara develops a less pronounced fatty bump.
The bluish spotted acara is an excellent fish for aquarists looking to get their first cichlid. It is quite easy to care for it, you just need to monitor the water parameters and provide high-quality food.
These are excellent parents who take care of their fry and spawn quite simply.
This acara is much more accommodating than other types of cichlids, even more so than the turquoise acara.
A medium-sized and peaceful fish, it can be kept with other cichlids, catfish or fish of the same size. Please note that this is still a cichlid and should not be kept with small fish.
They get along quite well with each other, forming their own pairs. Usually they do not touch the fish, driving away their neighbors only if they swim into their territory or during spawning. And they can spawn every two weeks, provided that the eggs are removed from them immediately after spawning.
But you shouldn’t do this, since blue-spotted acaras are excellent parents and take care of the fry, and selling a lot of fry is quite problematic.
Description and natural habitat
Acaras belong to the ray-finned fish of the Cichlid family. This is an indigenous inhabitant of South and Central America, living in small bodies of water in Colombia, Panama, Trinidad, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador. The fish prefers stagnant water or shallow streams.
It differs from other Cichlovids in its rather small size and medium-sized mouth with well-defined lips.
The body, characteristic of this species, seems to be flattened from the sides, and the forehead protrudes strongly forward. The color of the scales varies and depends on the species. Usually there are transverse stripes on the sides, one of them crosses the head and large eyes.
Sexual dimorphism is well expressed, but is especially pronounced during spawning, when the color of females and males becomes much more expressive. In males, the dorsal and anal fins end in sharp feathers, and a fatty bump grows on the forehead with age.
Photo gallery of Akara:
When kept in an aquarium, the size of the fish rarely reaches 12-15 cm (although dwarf breeds up to 5 cm are also found), while in their natural habitat the body length of some species reaches 25-30 cm. Life expectancy depends on the species, size and conditions of detention and can be from 4 to 15 years.
The varieties also differ in their method of reproduction. There are species that lay eggs in the substrate, while others carry their offspring in the mouth.
Despite its predatory nature and omnivorous nature, it is a fairly peaceful and calm fish. The flock hunts for aquatic insects and larvae, small fish and invertebrates.
In general, any variety amazes with the brightness of its color and multicolor - a variety of color mixtures that no photograph can convey.
Where does the turquoise acara live?
Photo: Acara fish
The habitat of the acar covers the water bodies of Central and Southern Latin America. Most species live in the mainstream of the Amazon in Colombia, Peru and Brazil.
They are widely represented in such rivers of Brazil, Venezuela and Gaina as:
- Putomayo;
- Trombetas;
- Xingu;
- Escapebo;
- Capim;
- Branko;
- Negro.
Turquoise acars are not uncommon in the waters of Trinidad. Acaras live mainly in shallow reservoirs with low flow rates of tannin-rich water. They prefer areas with thickets of aquatic plants, with bottom topography that provides fish with a large number of shelters. These fish are common in the coastal zone of the reservoir.
Almost all types of cancer prefer to stay near the coast. Preference is given to places densely overgrown with aquatic vegetation, with wide leaves extending to the surface. Such plants provide fish with an opportunity to hide from herons. In this case, there should be enough space for free swimming, although akars prefer to stay within the territory of the selected area.
Mr. Tail recommends: variety of species
There are more than 30 varieties of Acara found in the aquarium hobby, although there are many more of them in nature.
Before the classification of Acars changed in 1986, they were all Equidens. But now new species have been identified:
- Bougerquins;
- Claytracars;
- Guianacara;
- Latracars;
- Crobia.
Turquoise Akara
One of the most famous and widespread species in the aquarium hobby. The fish are quite large and very beautiful. The main background is turquoise, the plumage has an orange border, but silver and metallic tints flash on the scales in the rays of light.
Turquoise Acara is the most charming and capricious inhabitant of the aquarium. Because of her eccentric nature, she is able to get along with few people, except perhaps the diamond cichlid, with which she is often confused. Indeed, the body of both fish seems to be sprinkled with diamond chips.
When properly maintained, Turquoise Acara behaves quite calmly; it loves slightly acidic and moderately hard water with a temperature of about + 26 °C. Nevertheless, American breeders often call it the Green Terrorist.
Blue Acaras
This species was at the peak of popularity at the very beginning of the Acar era in the aquarium hobby, but now it seems pale against the background of new bright breeds.
The main background is soft blue on the body, a slightly brighter color on the plumage, decorated with a dark border. The eyes are large and reddish. The fatty lump in males is not as pronounced as in other types of cancer.
For a flock you need a fairly long artificial pond (preferably about a meter) with a slightly acidic water temperature of +24 °C.
Like all Akaras, Blue is curious, active and willful, but with the right selection of neighbors, her behavior can be controlled.
Blue-spotted Acara
A peculiar variety of Blue. The main background of the scales is steel, with spots of heavenly color scattered across it and dark, almost purple transverse stripes running through it.
This breed has a calmer temperament compared to other varieties, but the correct selection of neighbors is required. During spawning they become overly aggressive.
This is a fairly small fish; in a home aquarium it grows only up to 8 cm.
Neon Acaras
Quite large fish with an original “metallic” color that fluoresces when light rays hit the scales.
The dorsal fin is very high and long, almost merging with the tail.
This fish has a calm character for Akar, which changes sharply during mating games.
They can get along with any neighbors who are not inferior to them in size.
Neon Nano Akara
These fish are also called Blue Electric for their unusual coloring - it is bright blue and sparkling, and in the rays of light it glows juicy orange. This reflection is especially visible at the ends of the luxurious plumage.
This is one of the most stunningly beautiful varieties of Acar.
Nano Akara is a rather difficult breed to breed, despite perhaps the calmest character for cichlids, and only experienced aquarists should try it. But the beauty of this sparkling miracle makes up for all the difficulties of care.
Red-breasted Akara
It is also a very expressive variety, despite the apparent simplicity of the color. The main background of the scales is silver-golden, and the lower part of the body has a pinkish tint.
The coloring of this Akara becomes especially bright during spawning. Usually the fish is very calm, but during mating games it claims a large territory and carefully guards it.
Akary Maroni
The color of this species contains many shades - reddish, yellowish, olive. There are also dark transverse stripes, especially noticeable on the head of the fish. In addition, each scale has a brown mark in the center.
The color changes during spawning, it becomes brighter. In addition, color greatly depends on your mood. Usually these fish are peaceful, even shy, and love to hide in algae and decorations. But during spawning they desperately protect the eggs and offspring.
Pygmy Zebra Acaras
The smallest of the Acaras, other than zebras, are a bit like bees. Wide black stripes run across the reddish-golden background.
These are very peaceful fish that do not show aggression even during the courtship and spawning period. Their sizes rarely exceed 5 cm.
Paraguayan Akara
Or Vittata, have a yellowish-brownish color with a bright green scattering of spots on the tail. The bodies are crossed by eight dark transverse stripes. The dorsal fin is emerald blue with a pink border.
These fish are normal micropredators, loving live food and raw meat, but to maintain the brightness of their color, their food must also contain carotenoids. The size of pets when kept in a home aquarium is 12-13 cm.
Acara Curviceps
Small fish that naturally live in the Amazon basin. The male is slightly larger and reaches 7-8 cm, females - about 5-6 cm.
The main body color is greenish-bluish, the plumage is luxurious, and there is a transverse pattern on the tail. The eggs are laid in a clay substrate (usually a special cone or flower pot is used).
Quite aggressive and pugnacious.
Akary Portalegrensis
Found for the first time in Brazil, they grow up to 15-17 cm, reaching sexual maturity at a body length of about 8-9 cm.
Males are larger and brighter, with long anal and dorsal fins. The color is a mixture of blue, purple, gold, turquoise, and red. And the whole body shines in the rays of light, as if sprinkled with diamonds.
Quite accommodating provided that the neighbors are the same size as them.
Acara Tetramerus
A very colorful South American fish found in river basins from Guyana to Rio de Janeiro.
They grow up to 15 cm (males are larger than females), sexually mature with a body size of about 9-10 cm.
The scales are bright, blue-yellow-red, the pectoral, anal and caudal fins are also reddish. Several large feathers protrude from the dorsal plumage directly above the head, like a perky crest.
Males are much brighter than females, and they are especially expressive during the mating season.
Akara Bujerkvina
These colorful and beautiful Acaras are a family that incubates eggs in the mouth. They have a large and foreheaded head, in males with a fatty bump.
Large eyes and thick lips are also characteristic of Bougerquins. Males are larger and brighter than females, and have long and pointed anal and dorsal fins.
Usually, by 7-8 months, pairs form in the flock, which then stay together all their lives. Quite large and strong individuals (up to 20-30 cm), actively digging the soil and digging up plants.
Fantail Acara (Mary)
Grayish-olive fish with a dark longitudinal stripe along the flattened high sides. Rare sky-colored markings are scattered throughout the scales and plumage; they shimmer beautifully and play under the rays of light.
The dorsal and anal fins of males are copper-colored; the color becomes much brighter during the mating season.
In an artificial reservoir it reaches 12 cm, in natural conditions 20 cm. It belongs to the Bougerquina family, which incubates eggs in the mouth.
Appearance of acara
Akara has a tall, elongated body, flattened laterally. The fish's head is large, with a clearly visible frontal part. Her eyes are huge and her lips are voluminous. The dorsal and anal fins are pointed towards the end. The caudal fin is round in shape. As for colors, there is an incredible variety here. You can find fish of blue, red, burgundy colors, and in various tones.
The size of the cancer depends on its type, and in nature there are about three dozen of them. The smallest representatives of the species, zebras, do not grow longer than 5 cm, but the length of the bluish-spotted and turquoise acara is up to 25 cm. Most often, the males have the brightest colors, and their appearance is more attractive - they are larger and their fins are longer. Females have one decoration - the color contains an admixture of various tones.
If you take into account such characteristics, then distinguishing a male acara from a female is quite simple. Especially if they are nearby. Older males have one more feature - they have a clearly visible fat bulge on their heads. The spawning period does not affect these fish in any way; they remain unchanged. But when the female lays eggs, her color becomes more attractive and intense.
Experts recommend that in order to appreciate the unique beauty of acara, you need to look at it in person. Even the highest quality photo is not capable of conveying the richness of its color or capturing the cheerful, colorful reflections of its scales
If a person loves aquariums and loves to watch the inhabitants of this amazing microcosm, it is worth purchasing acar - they will definitely attract attention
But stories about what kind of aggressors these attractive fish are can scare you away. What is the reason for such an unflattering description? First of all, Akaras do not have natural anger; they are quite balanced. However, there may be one “black sheep” in the herd, which will cast a shadow over the entire breed. Aggressive cancer is not the norm, but a deviation. These fish get along well with fellow fish of the same size, who are mobile and not predatory.
Akara is monogamous, creates a strong pair and gets along well with her partner. Conflicts rarely arise in the family; the fish often spawn and together amicably care for their offspring. For those wishing to have cancer, it is better to immediately buy a couple - a female and a male. If fish of different sexes end up in the same tank from different places, they may not like each other and may not get along, much less become a family.
Aquarium Basics
Acara is a very beautiful fish that attracts any aquarist, but you should not start the hobby for home artificial reservoirs with these species. This is a large and often aggressive pet that needs a lot of free space and a competent selection of neighbors. Of course, these are not the most capricious fish in terms of keeping conditions, but they need to be well understood and their character and habits studied.
The basic requirements for maintaining and caring for Akara at home are as follows:
- Spacious tank, long and wide. A pair of small (up to 10 cm) cancers need at least 100 liters of water.
- The purity of the liquid is very important; it should be carefully filtered (preferably with a powerful remote compressor) and replaced once a week with a fifth of the volume.
- The optimal living conditions for healthy keeping of pets are as follows: temperature +20...+26 °C, low hardness up to 13 dH, neutral or slightly acidic environment 6.5-7.5 pH. It is better not to use chemicals, but to plant aquatic plants that soften the environment - elodea, hornwort. You can also use purified rainwater.
- It is preferable to use soft fractions as soil, on which Acaras cannot be injured, since these pets are avid diggers. For the same reason, the plants in the tank must have a strong and powerful root system, or they should be planted in an artificial pond in pots.
- Many Acara species, even most of them, despite their pugnacity, are shy and seek shelter. Therefore, you should decorate the aquarium with driftwood, stones, and grottoes with smooth walls and edges.
- They treat lighting calmly, daylight hours are about 12 hours, it is worth equipping the aquarium with a lid with fluorescent or LED lamps, under their rays the scales of Akar shine especially beautifully.
- Good air aeration and a water heating system are necessary.
Aquarium fish: how to make the right choice
People who decide to have aquarium fish are faced with a rather difficult question - what kind of pet to choose. If you search well, you will find that you will have to choose from almost 2,000 species of a wide variety of freshwater fish. On this page we tried to collect all the necessary information about the aquarium fish - blue acara. If you have never had an aquarium before, you don’t need to choose based on the principle of a beautiful fish and an ugly fish. It is necessary to take into account a lot of variables: what kind of food it prefers, the temperature and composition of the water, whether it is a predator or not, whether it is dangerous for humans, whether it gets along with other species, and many other interesting things. If we classify conditionally, we can distinguish two large groups of fish:
- Easy-to-care fish, not at all demanding of environmental conditions, can survive even in unfavorable situations. They have high endurance by nature, because they live in places where water constantly changes its characteristics or even disappears for a while. However, for health and beautiful appearance, such fish need to be provided with conditions as similar as possible to their natural habitat.
- Difficult to care for fish, most of them belong to tropical latitudes. For them, you need to create special conditions in the aquarium, again as similar as possible to the area where they live in nature. These species rarely breed in captivity, so they are brought from the wild.
For a novice fish breeder, it is better to choose one of the most unpretentious species. In addition to the prospect of not being able to cope with caring for a “capricious” fish, there is a danger of introducing an exotic disease that can harm the rest of the flora and fauna of the aquarium. If you like the blue acara aquarium fish, carefully read the characteristics, character, feeding, care and breeding of these fish.
Compatibility
A very important point in maintaining any Akar is choosing the right neighbors.
The most reasonable option is to set up a mono-species aquarium, but you can also make an artificial pond combined with other fish, following certain rules.
Strictly not recommended from a compatibility point of view:
- neons;
- tetras;
- guppy;
- mollies;
- angelfish;
- discus;
- small African cichlids;
- viejas;
- tilapia;
- flowerhorns.
A good solution would be to combine Cancer with cichlosomes:
- black-striped;
- diamond;
- Nicaraguan;
- Manguan.
Acaras will also get along with severums, parrot fish, and astronotuses.
It is worth paying attention to intraspecific combinations. It is best to keep a couple (male and female) in a small aquarium; the two males will quarrel over territory.
The female is also aggressive, especially during spawning. If there is a flock of 6-8 individuals, then the aquarium should be very large (800-1000 l) and with many hiding places. And the number of male specimens is at least twice that of female ones.
We must remember that any snails perceive Akarami exclusively as food.
Care and maintenance
Like all cichlids, Nannakara prefers a spacious habitat. Therefore, for a couple of individuals you should take an aquarium with a volume of at least 70 liters. If you plan to place the fish in a common tank where other species live, then the volume must be at least 200 liters, otherwise the neon “beauties” will begin to fight for territory.
The fish are quite lively, curious, but not capricious and non-aggressive. They watch with interest their owner walking around the room, understand and react when he approaches to give food.
Water parameters
Filtration and aeration are required. With a lack of air and deteriorating water quality, pets’ immunity decreases and infectious diseases arise. Don't forget to change 25% of the aquarium water weekly.
The following parameters are desirable:
- temperature – 24 – 26°C;
- acidity – 6.5 – 8.0 pH;
- hardness – 6 – 15 gH.
Plants
You can choose any vegetation and plant it abundantly in the aquarium. But you need to leave enough space for pets to swim freely. Nannakara does not touch the plants, so you don’t have to worry about the safety of the plantings.
Priming
It is advisable to choose gravel with a fraction of up to 4 mm. Representatives of the species love to pick up leftover food from the bottom, but it is still necessary to use a siphon to clean the soil.
Decor
When arranging an aquarium, you should take into account the natural habitat conditions of representatives of the Cichlid family. The bottom must be decorated with grottoes, large stones, ceramic pots, and driftwood. In shelters, fish rest and lay eggs.
Feeding
Large, beautiful and bright Acaras retain their iridescent appearance only with favorable maintenance. And the issue of a properly selected diet is very important here. It must include:
- chopped shrimp;
- mussel and squid meat;
- sea fish - hake, cod, pink salmon;
- minced fish with lettuce and spirulina;
- ready-made dry food (Tetra, Sera, Hikari).
The fish should be fed once a day, with a fasting day once a week.
Ready-made dry sticks, for example, Sera Granuar, are necessary because they include, in addition to the correct set, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, carotenoids (carrots), which are necessary to maintain the brightness of the color of the scales.
Keeping a cara at home
Acaras began to be kept in aquarium conditions around the end of the last century, but currently this species is one of the most sought after and popular among domestic amateur aquarists.
Acara belongs to fish from the cichlid or cichlid family, so the content differs in some ways. Turquoise acara is most often kept in a spacious aquarium with other popular and sized cichlids or catfish.
Requirements for an aquarium
The aquarium for acara should be selected in such a way that a couple of adult individuals need about 160-250 liters of water. A prerequisite for proper maintenance is to ensure high-quality aeration and effective filtration. Every week it is necessary to replace a third of the water in the aquarium.
The lighting of the aquarium also plays an important role. It is necessary to select medium-power lamps, and the total daylight hours should be ten hours. After sunset, special night lamps are used. When choosing the type of soil, it is advisable to give preference to stones and pebbles of the middle fraction. For decoration purposes, driftwood and various aquatic plants are installed in the aquarium.
It is very important to securely fix all decorative elements and vegetation to the bottom, because during the spawning period, acara are capable of digging up the entire aquarium soil.
Water requirements
To maintain turquoise acara, clean water with the following indicators is required:
- dH 8-15°;
- pH 6-8;
- T 23-25°C.
Any shifts from the above parameters can provoke not only disease, but also mass death of aquarium fish.
Turquoise Acaras, along with most other large cichlids, have a fairly high metabolic rate and quickly spoil water, so without high-quality filter systems it will not be possible to keep such a fish in an aquarium.
Breeding
At the age of 7-8 months, Acaras usually reach sexual maturity. At the same time, color and fin plumage are formed, which make it possible to distinguish females from males. By this time, pairs are formed.
Males at this age differ only in their pointed anal and dorsal fins; the fatty bump on the forehead will grow only by the age of five.
Acaras spawn spontaneously; injections and special stimulation are not required, except for a slight increase in temperature (a couple of degrees) and frequent water changes.
It is better to place the established pair in a spawning area, since both future parents will be aggressive during the mating season.
For masonry, stone or other flat surface is most often chosen. You can also prepare a special clay cone or flower pot as a substrate. But it is not a fact that he will be chosen. The couple carefully prepares the incubation site, clearing it of silt and algae. Several holes are dug in the ground, usually by the male.
The female lays 100-300 eggs on a stone, sometimes up to a thousand. After 3-4 days, the incubation period comes to an end, all this time the female ventilates the clutch and removes dead eggs, and the male protects the offspring. Then the couple carefully transfers the fry to the holes, which serve as a kind of shelter for them.
Usually on the 10-12th day the larvae begin to swim and eat their first food - artemia nauplii, microplankton, living dust, enchytraeus, crustaceans, rotifers, nematodes. You can give mashed boiled egg yolk with daphnia.
Despite the fact that Acaras are caring parents, there are known cases of eating the first litter. But usually this doesn’t happen again in this couple.
Up to a size of two centimeters, Acara fry grow very slowly, then the growth rate accelerates.
Reproduction
Under artificial conditions, blue acara reproduce in the same way as other cichlids. The fish reach sexual maturity at the age of 9 months. Up to 1 year they form pairs. During the spawning period, it is better to place the breeders in a separate container - a spawning tank. Place a flat stone or net at the bottom, since the acara can eat the first droppings.
To stimulate spawning, the temperature of the water in the spawning tank is gradually increased by 1-2°; distilled water is used for replacement, which equalizes hardness and pH. Lighting should be moderate - breeders and eggs are sensitive to bright light. It makes sense to use an air filter with a foam sponge, since active filtration can “suck in” larvae and fry.
2-3 weeks before spawning, the couple is fed high-protein food, preferably live. The quality of food affects the condition of the eggs and the number of healthy offspring. After courtship, the female lays 300-500 eggs. A large female can produce more than 1000 eggs, which the male fertilizes.
Blue Acaras are good parents. They monitor the development of eggs, destroying unfertilized or damaged ones. But experienced aquarists recommend removing the pair from the spawning tank after fertilization of the eggs. The male will actively defend the clutch, and the female strives to “break through the defense.” At this time, the male can harm the female.
The length of the incubation period is affected by water hardness and temperature. Depending on environmental conditions, it can last from 3 to 8 days. After this period, larvae emerge from the eggs. Their parents protect them, hide them in shelters, and feed them with suspension, which they lift from the bottom.
After 4 days, the larvae begin to actively search for food. They are fed with live dust, crushed enchytraeus and other types of starter feed.
Parents are interested in and care for their offspring for only 14 days, after which they are again ready to reproduce and, when kept together, will begin to perceive their babies as food.
In order to preserve the maximum number of fry, they are sorted by size. The larger and more active ones are removed so that they cannot eat their smaller relatives. Aquarium acara differ from their wild relatives. But aquarists love and appreciate blue cancers and have been breeding them with pleasure for about half a century.
Diseases and prevention
Acaras are fairly healthy fish with strong immunity. And all their diseases are associated with violation of maintenance conditions and incorrect water parameters. In this case, you may encounter the following pathologies:
- Ascitoma. To treat abdominal hydrops (bloating), antibiotics are needed, which are given along with the food, replacing most of the aquatic environment the next day. The use of Oxytetracycline, Chloramphenicol, Gentamicin, Baktopur helps well.
- Worm infestations. Most often they arise due to low-quality live food. To eliminate them, Metronidazole and Ciprofloxacin are dissolved in the liquid in calculated concentrations.
- Fungal infections. It is better to carefully remove the whitish coating and dead parts of the fins with tweezers, and place the pet in a bath with a weak solution of Malachite green. But the main thing with dermatomycosis is still prevention, which consists of regularly updating some of the water, aeration and high-quality filtration.
Cost and reviews about cancers
For many aquarists, acquaintance with these amazing fish ends in many years of friendship. Owners are captivated not only by the beauty of the cancer, but also by their intellectual abilities. Often, fish turn out to be devoted pets, they rejoice when they see their owner, and even offer their backs for stroking.
Cancers have different temperaments, but more often they become cocky only during spawning. The price of a fish depends on its type, rarity and other characteristics, starting from 170 rubles.
Acaras are a large family of cichlid fish, including many varieties. Almost all representatives have a luxurious appearance. The main difficulty that those wishing to acquire cancer will face is the problem of choice.
Interesting Facts
It is widely known that among territorial species, fights occur between males. But in Akar, it is the females who are especially aggressive during spawning. Therefore, it is important that each couple has their own tank or area in a large, shared artificial pond.
Akar males, guarding the female and the clutch, enter into a fight with any approaching inhabitant of the reservoir.
Usually Acaras behave calmly towards their neighbors, but during starvation they can attack not only small guppies and neons, but also large angelfish.
Life and behavior in nature
Nimbochromis venustus is a true endemic, since the species' distribution range is limited to a single place on Earth: the African Lake Malawi. It lives in the coastal zone, not swimming below a level of 10–12 meters. It is found both on rocky shores and in the sandy zone of the lake. Is a typical predator.
The hunting style of this Malawian cichlid is interesting. She lies on the bottom or ledge of a rock, pretending to be dead. However, as soon as a careless fish appears nearby, the cyrtokara launches a swift, effective attack. This style of hunting is called ambush.
Nimbochromis venustus live, as a rule, in small groups of 3–4 individuals, where the dominant is a single male, jealously guarding his area of territory and his harem.
Reviews
Alekh
And in my 38-liter aquarium there live a pair of cancers - a male 14 cm and a female 10 cm, and they had about two hundred fry there. Yes, it’s a little cramped, but what can you do, in cramped conditions, no offense, cozy family happiness. Acaras are the only fish with intelligence that I have come across (cannot be compared with stupid guppies or cockerels).
At the same time, they are lively, sociable, especially the female, who is also very aggressive, she killed all the fish that lived in the aquarium before she moved in, tore out entire eyeballs from living cichlids or bit them through, I was almost shocked when I first saw this sophisticated cruelty, even managed to tear the tail of a clever protected catfish until it bled, leaving it still alive. The male is good-natured and calm, but once every week or two he hits the female hard, so that the sound of the blow can be heard throughout the room, and she bites him almost constantly. This fish is not for the faint of heart, not for children. I don’t want any other fish, because there are a lot of emotions from these two cancers.
Daria
Foolishly, I bought cancer for a new 40 liter aquarium. pushed through 11 pieces. Very small from the same litter. They're growing now. I've already given them away. There are very small ones of different sizes, and one huge male with a bump on his forehead is probably already 6-7 cm. I feed only live food. Rarely dry. They are of course very beautiful, but I don’t know what to do with them next. Who needs such horses? Not everyone can afford a 300L aquarium for just two fish. I'm worried.
Cactus B
A girl has been living in my 60-liter aquarium for five years now. Two cichlazomas Meeka and this acara. The entire aquarium is covered with thick algae. It’s not enough for these fish, but there’s no money and no space. Large – each fish is 7-8 cm long. They don’t fight, they are calm, perhaps because there are eight(!) towers in the aquarium and a whole forest of plants - there is enough shelter for everyone.
Sergey Wolf
Very interesting fish! Especially during the spawning period, the female was constantly building the male, saying to spawn... I sold it and I really regret it.... however, now there are two teenagers living in the aquarium with the guppies... on live food...
