Possible electric blue acara breeder??

[Guyb93]

I currently stock 4x electric blue acara
Witch two convicts
A green terror
a standard blue acara
and a sail fin pleco
I have been offered a swap of my green terror and me blue acara for a breeding pair of electric blue acara
As I already have 4 juveniles could I possibly breed them ? Iv never bred a fish but find I have a slight obsession with the electric blue acara so I will be making the swap anyway as I hve been trying to rehome my GT anyways
But to breed them would the convicts need to go ? Would the pleco eat the eggs ? Would the other electric blue acara kill or eat the eggs , hve no idea , any help ?

 

[Wills]

Breeding cichlids is always tricky to manage. They will breed readily but its hard to know how they will react to other fish in the tank I have had pairs breed and cause mayhem and others that breed and you hardly notice. When they breed other fish may take a beating, my guess is the convicts would fight back. You then have the issues with raising the fry, you have to be careful with how you raise them as they are easy to stunt, you also then have to deal with say 25 successful youngsters to house or find homes for which can be challenging and a head ache in itself. It is not uncommon for males in a breeding pair to kill the female also, so it is best to have a few tanks so you can move young and the parents around if they need separating quickly.

6 EBA and 2 Convicts would be too many cichlids in a 70 gallon tank. I would prefer it if you had either your group of 4 that have grown up together with appropriate non cichlid tank mates or the breeding pair you have been offered again with non cichlid tank mates but much more lightly stocked with no bottom dwellers (hatchet fish and pencil fish would be good candidates for this option).

Wills

 

[Guyb93]

Breeding cichlids is always tricky to manage. They will breed readily but its hard to know how they will react to other fish in the tank I have had pairs breed and cause mayhem and others that breed and you hardly notice. When they breed other fish may take a beating, my guess is the convicts would fight back. You then have the issues with raising the fry, you have to be careful with how you raise them as they are easy to stunt, you also then have to deal with say 25 successful youngsters to house or find homes for which can be challenging and a head ache in itself. It is not uncommon for males in a breeding pair to kill the female also, so it is best to have a few tanks so you can move young and the parents around if they need separating quickly.

6 EBA and 2 Convicts would be too many cichlids in a 70 gallon tank. I would prefer it if you had either your group of 4 that have grown up together with appropriate non cichlid tank mates or the breeding pair you have been offered again with non cichlid tank mates but much more lightly stocked with no bottom dwellers (hatchet fish and pencil fish would be good candidates for this option).

Wills

I have a empty 3 ft 40g tank would that be ok for a breeding pair or too small ? And yes my other 4 have grew together as such they grew in pairs and put as a four about a month ago , I’m not looking to breed them pre say just the idea of the possibility with a fish I adore is tempting

 

[Wills]

I’ve seen people have success with Blue Acaras in a 40 breeder so could be worth a try. If you had a 20g as a fry tank or something you can add a stressed female too - I’d run 2 sponge filters in the 40 so you can move one to the 20 if you need it. Sponge filters are good for fry too.

I would think about some upper water dwelling dither fish too for the 40 but no bottom dwellers to give the acaras some confidence.

Wills

 

[Stefan3289]

I definitely agree with Will. While I haven’t had any experience with convicts, I know they can be quite aggressive, I have had some experience with EBAs and regular acaras. Cichlids are usually quite good parents, especially when it comes to protecting their eggs/fry, so my guess would that it could get pretty violent in that tank and would seem to be overstocked when they grow up...

 

[Stefan3289]

I definitely agree with Will. While I haven’t had any experience with convicts, I know they can be quite aggressive, I have had some experience with EBAs and regular acaras. Cichlids are usually quite good parents, especially when it comes to protecting their eggs/fry, so my guess would that it could get pretty violent in that tank and would seem to be overstocked when they grow up...

By “they” growing up I mean the 6 acaras, 2 convicts, and the plecto that would be in the tank. However, I think a 40 gallon would be good to breed the EBAs but then you would need to find a place for the fry.

 

[Guyb93]

I’ve seen people have success with Blue Acaras in a 40 breeder so could be worth a try. If you had a 20g as a fry tank or something you can add a stressed female too - I’d run 2 sponge filters in the 40 so you can move one to the 20 if you need it. Sponge filters are good for fry too.

I would think about some upper water dwelling dither fish too for the 40 but no bottom dwellers to give the acaras some confidence.

Wills

It seems a hassle I may encounter if it happens I will not encourage it , would the eba eat there own fry ? I only anticipate it as the person I’m dealing with says they hve laid eggs a few times but are with mix cichlids and just get eaten so I’m guessing going into my tank as the largest fish they would thrive and breed , I’m Worried for my current Male eba as he is very bold and dominant for a eba as I know they are pretty dopey am I to expect a fight between the new male and current Male even though there’s a 2-3 inch size differences or will this only happen during breeding or will a pecking order be established by then .. I’m very unsure , but the main thing is , is that swap a Breyer option for my tank swapping the Gt and stand blue acara for another two electric blue acara?

 

[Wills]

Its always a risk adding adult fish to an established or semi established hierachy.

My honest advice for this tank is rehome the Convicts and enjoy your 4 EBA. They are obviously your favorite fish so why not plan a tank around them? Make a South American biotope tank, Whiptail Catfish, Hatchet Fish or Pencil Fish, Wood Cats, Dora Cats, Brochis, Cories, Headstanders, Splash Tetras, fancy L Numbers, huge variety of tetras - Emperors, Disk, Torpedo, the list is quite endless when it comes to building your tank.

Wills

 

[Stefan3289]

If you rehome the two convicts, maybe you could add a centerpiece such a severum? How big is the tank again? What do you think about this @Wills

 

[Guyb93]

Its always a risk adding adult fish to an established or semi established hierachy.

My honest advice for this tank is rehome the Convicts and enjoy your 4 EBA. They are obviously your favorite fish so why not plan a tank around them? Make a South American biotope tank, Whiptail Catfish, Hatchet Fish or Pencil Fish, Wood Cats, Dora Cats, Brochis, Cories, Headstanders, Splash Tetras, fancy L Numbers, huge variety of tetras - Emperors, Disk, Torpedo, the list is quite endless when it comes to building your tank.

Wills

Thanks always sound advice

 

[Wills]

If you rehome the two convicts, maybe you could add a centerpiece such a severum? How big is the tank again? What do you think about this @Wills

Tanks a bit small for anything over 10 inches but to stick with the acaras I think