Lots of home aquarium hobbyists love cichlids. One of the most beautiful of these large, fierce fish is the electric blue acara.
Electric blue acaras are large freshwater fish known for their bright, shimmering blue bodies that are sure to catch the eye of any guest you bring into your home!
You may be wondering if you can get any tank mates for your electric blue acaras to spruce up your tank. The good news is, yes, electric blue acaras can definitely do well with tank mates!
In this article, we’ll talk about the top 8 tank mates you can pair with your electric blue acaras. These species include:
To learn more about these amazing electric blue acara tank mates, read on!
About Electric Blue Acaras
As mentioned previously, electric blue acaras are in the cichlid family. They’re one of the boldest cichlids with their bright, beautiful colors, which makes them attractive to those with a freshwater tank.
Electric blue acaras are actually man-made hybrids of blue acaras, which means they’re not found naturally in the wild. However, their parent fish are found in freshwater around Central America.
You can think of them like a Frankenstein fish, but without all the moaning and awkwardly stitched-up body parts.(*)
Those looking to try their hand at raising cichlids would do well to get some electric blue acaras, as they’re a hardy species with easy care requirements. You just have to make sure you have a tank big enough for them, as they can get between 6 – 8 inches long!
Plus, electric blue acaras don’t show the same level of aggression as their other cichlid family members. They tend to be quite peaceful fish, which means they can get along with lots of other species.
You’ll also want to be sure you’re willing to take on a commitment before bringing these bright blue fish home. Electric blue acaras live up to 20 years on average with excellent care, so you could have a long-term relationship with your fish!
The 8 Best Electric Blue Acara Tank Mates
The below fish species tend to make some of the best tank mates for electric blue acaras. Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive – there are many other fish species that could also make good tank mates for blue acaras, we just find these to be some of the best.
1. Harlequin Rasboras
- Scientific Name: Trigonostigma heteromorpha
- Origin: Southeast Asia
- Size: 2 inches
- Temperament: peaceful
Harlequin Rasboras can make excellent tank mates for electric blue acaras. Though they’re smaller fish, both electric blue acaras and harlequin rasboras are known for their peaceful personalities, so they won’t bother each other! (*)
Harlequin rasboras are small and quick, so they can be quite fun to watch. This species is a schooling fish, so you’ll want to get at least 10 of them in a tank together.
If you don’t get enough in a school, your harlequin rasboras may become stressed or feel unsafe, even if your electric blue acaras are being kind to them. Stressed fish tend to become sick more quickly and have shorter lifespans, so it’s always in their best interest to be in a large school.
If cared for properly, your harlequin rasboras can live anywhere between 5-8 years!
2. Rainbowfish
- Scientific Name: Melanotaeniidae
- Origin: Australia, Madagascar
- Size: 2 – 7 inches
- Temperament: peaceful, active
Shimmery, adorable rainbowfish can make great tankmates for your electric blue acaras. There are many different specific species of rainbowfish that range in color and size, but all of them are known to be peaceful, active fish.
Though rainbowfish aren’t originally from South America, many of them still have similar tank requirements compared to electric blue acaras. You’ll just have to make sure they don’t accidentally introduce foreign diseases to each other by quarantining them for a bit.
Keep in mind that some species of rainbowfish can get quite large (up to 7 inches!) so you’ll need a big tank for both your acaras and rainbowfish. However, once you see them both shimmering together, it’ll all be worth it.
Talk about an underwater disco!
3. Dwarf Suckers
- Scientific Name: Otocinculus
- Origin: South America
- Size: 1 – 2 inches
- Temperament: peaceful, skittish
If you’re interested in bottomfeeders, dwarf suckers may be a good place to start. Scientifically known as Otocinculus, dwarf suckers are tiny, 1-2 inch sucker fish from South America. (*)
These teeny suckers will eat away at any algae or debris at the bottom of your tank. They’re also quite peaceful, so they won’t cause any issues with your electric blue acaras.
However, dwarf suckers can get skittish at times. Because of this, it’s best to get a little family of dwarf suckers so they can be with one another.
We love a fish family!
4. Freshwater Angelfish
- Scientific Name: Pterophyllum scalare
- Origin: South America
- Size: up to 6 inches long and 10 inches high
- Temperament: Peaceful, but can be aggressive to smaller fish
If you want a decent mid-sized tank mate for your electric blue acaras, the freshwater angelfish may be your answer. Angelfish are extremely popular freshwater fish due to their beautiful shape and variety of colors.
Since angelfish and electric blue acaras are both from South America, they have very similar tank requirements. This means they’ll make excellent roommates for one another!
Angelfish are also peaceful fish and won’t stir up any trouble with their tank mates. They will, however, need lots of room to “just keep swimming,” so make sure you have an extremely large tank to house both your electric blue acaras and your angelfish together.
5. Swordtails
- Scientific Name: Xiphophorus hellerii
- Origin: Central America
- Size: 5 – 6 inches
- Temperament: Peaceful, social
Though swordtails may not be as common as some other fish on this list, they’re an excellent tank mate for many different fish species. Known for their iconic long tail, swordtails are peaceful, social fish that won’t cause any disturbances with your electric blue acaras. (*)
Since swordtails are from Central America, they’ll have similar tank requirements to your electric blue acaras. They’ll also likely enjoy having peaceful acaras as tank mates, as they’ll be less likely to nip at their tails.
Remember that this fish is skinny but long, so it’ll need plenty of space to safely swim around your tank.
6. Nicaragua cichlids
- Scientific Name: Hypsophrys nicaraguensis
- Origin: Central America
- Size: 7 – 10 inches
- Temperament: Semi-aggressive
If you’re wanting another cichlid to add to your electric blue acara tank, you may be interested in adding a Nicaragua cichlid. Nicaragua cichlids are from Central America and can reach anywhere between 7 and 10 inches long.
Nicaragua cichlids are a little different from many of the other fish on this list because they’re semi-aggressive. Though they aren’t as aggressive as other members of their species, they can still get a bit territorial and won’t tolerate attacks from other fish.
The good news is that since electric blue acaras are so peaceful, the odds of them fighting are slim. If your electric blue acara isn’t willing to start a fight, your Nicaragua cichlid probably won’t be either.
7. Bristlenose plecos
- Scientific Name: Ancistrus cirrhosus
- Origin: South America
- Size: 3 – 5 inches
- Temperament: Peaceful, social
Looking for a tank mate with a job? Look no further than the bristlenose pleco, who loves to clean your tank for free.
Plecos, freshwater fish from Central America, are known to be some of the best bottom feeders out there. They’ll eat any algae or debris in the substrate on the bottom of your tank, which can decrease how often you have to clean your tank.
Plecos come in many different colors and are extremely peaceful fish. Because they’re often on the bottom of the tank, they likely won’t even come into contact with your electric blue acaras except for the occasional “hello.”
Learn more: Butterfly Pleco: The Ultimate Guide
8. Black skirt tetras
- Scientific Name: Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
- Origin: South America
- Size: 2 – 3 inches
- Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Finally, black skirt tetras can make great little tank mates for your electric blue acaras. Black skirt tetras have long, flowy fins that look beautiful in any tank.
While normally you’d have to worry about other fish nipping at these fins, electric blue acaras don’t tend to be nippy. They’ll likely just swim on past your black skirt tetras like any other day.
Like the Nicaragua cichlids, black skirt tetras are semi-aggressive. Since your electric blue acaras are generally peaceful, the odds of them fighting are slim.
In Conclusion
Electric blue acaras make a great addition to any freshwater tank, especially for those who are new to raising freshwater fish. With their fun personalities, bright colors, and peaceful temperament, this hardy fish will be sure to keep you entertained for years to come.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to electric blue acara tank mates is that they should ideally be a peaceful species. While you can house an electric blue acara with its more aggressive cichlid relatives, it isn’t ideal.
Summary
The best peaceful species for your electric blue acaras include Oscars, Rainbowfish, Otocinclus, Angelfish, Swordtails, Moga cichlids, Bristlenose plecos, and Black skirt tetras.
You don’t want to stress out your electric blue acaras, and the best way to keep them stress-free is by getting them some unproblematic friends. Sounds great, right?
If you have electric blue acaras, tell us about your experience with them below. If you have any questions about your home aquarium, ask us in the comments and we may write on your question next!
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