Port Acara - Medium

The Port Acara is a beautifully marked cichlid. Its body is mottled brown with a dark horizontal line running from the eye back to the tail. The scales are outlined in black giving these fish a very distinctive look. Adding further to their beauty, tones of red, greens and blues will develop with age and in times of spawning. The males of this species have longer pointed dorsal and anal fins. These are an easy to breed fish that do well in a community aquarium with other fish of similar size. The Port Acara requires an aquarium of at least 150 litres, with a sandy bottom, rocks and plenty of hiding places among the rocks. Live plants should be planted in pots to protect the roots from these fish. The Port Acara is generally peaceful with other fish of similar size, but can get territorial during breeding time. The Port Acara is an open-breeder and will accept a range of water conditions. To promote breeding, raise aquarium temperature to 26-28°C. The Blue Acara readily pairs and forms a patriarch/matriarch family and both the male and female will care for the young. The female will lay the eggs on a cleaned rock. They will spawn about every two weeks if the young are removed from the aquarium. The Port Acara is omnivorous and will eat most prepared and frozen foods, including freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and ocean plankton, as well as flake food and Cichlid pellets. Approximate Purchase Size: 4 to 5 cm