# Blue Acara pair, not so friendly anymore.



## uarhcaz (May 10, 2012)

This is gonna be a long one, but it's for the good of the fish I tell you! :fish:

So here's my issue. For around 5 months now I've had South/Central American cichlids. What I started with was three Blue Acaras, and three Blue Convicts. The goal was to go all male, but that didn't turn out to be the case. I ended up with one female in the Acaras, and that's where the problems took off. As interesting as it sounds, the female was probably the most aggressive one in the tank...mainly towards the Convicts. At one point, she paired with the largest male Acaras and they spawned. As I'm sure you can imagine, what seemed to be over 100 fry in the tank became a live snack for the other fish and the fight for survival began. I managed to quickly get the rest of the fish out of the tank, then swap the parent and baby fish into another tank before putting the rest back into the original tank. Over a few days they seemed to be okay but the female seemed to be getting a little bit up, clearly by the male. I thought it might be a good idea to remove the male and I reintroduced him with the others. As my luck would have it, the female overnight ate the babies. All of them. I was a bit upset as I didn't even know there were eggs to begin with (spawned behind a rock that I had no vision from either end or front of the tank) and the babies had made it that far. So I went on with everything and put her back with the rest of the fish. Everything seemed normal for a while, but her being aggressive took off a bit and the other fish started to get nipped up by her (except her original mate and the other male Acara) so I saw it fit to relocate the others to a new home to reduce the stress levels in the tank (eating became a bit irritating as it seemed like they were fighting for food while there was plenty).

At this point, up until a few days ago I had the pair in a 75 by themselves (aside from a couple wandering plecos) and then I moved them temporarily into a 20 long I cycled so I could deep clean and re-cycle the 75 for them. In the 20 long, I took notice to the female hiding nearly all the time and the male just kind of doing his business wandering the tank like he owned the place. Neither of them had really seemed to eat much at the time either, though the food at some point was disappearing (I have a very active Bushynose Pleco who's like a darn vacuum too) so maybe they just weren't eating when I was around. I went to my girlfriends yesterday, and came home this morning to find the females fins bit up really bad and she was still hiding. I got the male out of the tank and into the 75. Now the female is in the 20 long with the plecos and the male in the 75. Now, as I type and they've been alone for a good while...they're both just out swimming freely like they're perfectly okay and both ate when I fed them earlier.

My real question, is where to go from this point? I'd like them to be together, and I was thinking maybe reintroducing them for a couple days to see where it goes...but not until her fins heal. Is this a good or bad idea? They're both great active fish normally but this whole thing was just weird, like a dumb fight in some human relationship that they got mad at each other for a while :roll: My girlfriend likes them as well and said she is willing to set up her old tank and keep the female. She currently has a 75 with her love "Jack" who I'm sure you can figure out is a Jack Dempsey. He's like 8 inches long and lives with Dyson vacuum....I mean 7 inch long Common Pleco :lol:

Anywho, what would you guys recommend?


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## uarhcaz (May 10, 2012)

Okay, so I just took a stroll over to the library and read this.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/b ... chlids.php

What I got from it, is that since she's the only female she's taking all the aggression...duh. What I also didn't realize, is that my male dug a huge hole next to a rock in the 20 long. Nest? Maybe, but why would he still be SO aggressive. Should I lay off on the feeding for a bit then reintroduce them? Problem is, by that article, during the separation and starving period the male will make a nest and whatnot...but he already did that, in the other tank, while the female was in it.

My hands are on my head and I have a confused look on my face, help lol


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## Shahlvah (Dec 28, 2011)

Hello uarhcaz, seems that you have your hands full. I am just writing for moral support since I have never have any of the species you have. But in my community tank I have 10 of each species....10 about 3-4 males, the rest females. they chase each other all day long, the males have all my tank with nest dig all over the place, the females seems to not care about them, the males chase the females, the females hide....there are babies all over the place, hiding inside of the rocks. I do have only one casualty, a mangiano that got his tail chop off....he avoids the net at all cost....so I guess that if he is so fast to hide from me, he can hide from everyone else and so far he does. it is a circus there, but when I start seeing real casualties, I will start weaving them out....I think the most aggressive ones I have are the Powder blue socolofi (don't get trick by their beautiful baby powder blue color, they are mean...I mean MEAN.....) and the red top trewasi long pelvic. I saw the two males of the red tops fighting the other day and locking jaws.....they are about 5-6 inches long and gorgeous, and one of the female is huge, as huge as the males and is peach, blue and red, really beautiful....Now, I have a baby that chase the adults...God knows what is he....or what is he up to, he is going to get eaten one day, he is about 1-1.5 inches long, imagine that....

In my experience and with my species I will said you need more females, at least 4 more, that way the beating will be "shared" and no one gets really hurt. And what happen is that if the male wants to spawn and the female is not ready, Havoc..... all **** breaks loose, talk about a burned male.....and if you only have one female, then she will get it...all the beating. And I think that is what is happening in your tank. But like I said, I have never had your species....I am in the hope that someone more experienced than me will jump in and give you the REAL advise. Mine...was just my thoughts.''

I wish you the best with your fish and I hope that soon you find the answer to this dilemma.


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## Shahlvah (Dec 28, 2011)

I can't figure this out, the word you can't read is the place where the bad one lives.... ... I have change it twice and still comes with all signs..... sorry about that. I guess is blocked. My bad.


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## uarhcaz (May 10, 2012)

I only find it more annoying because they war never like that. They're pick at each other every so often but that was it, normal stuff. I've have them apart for a few days now and her fins are doing good. Once they grow in a bit more I may put him back in the tank. I've been feeding her little bits, him too....but he still doesn't really eat. We'll see what happens. I don't want to get more females really because the 75 is going to be for EBJDs whenever I figure this out.


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## Shahlvah (Dec 28, 2011)

I wonder why no body has given you more advise about this...I still think that the numbers have a lot to do with the aggression....and that you might need more....more females.... just my thoughts and experience with other kinds of mbunas.


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## Shahlvah (Dec 28, 2011)

I have one question, when you refer to a blue acara you refer to 'Aequidens' pulcher?


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## uarhcaz (May 10, 2012)

Shahlvah said:


> I have one question, when you refer to a blue acara you refer to 'Aequidens' pulcher?


Yes. Like I said, I don't think more females is an option. Didn't want to keep them in the 75.


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## Shahlvah (Dec 28, 2011)

ok.... :fish: :fish:


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## uarhcaz (May 10, 2012)

So in case anyone has been reading or following this, I decided since I'm having a long night and don't have to be up tomorrow since I work late I'd introduce them to each other. He's recently seemed very down and not eating much still, yet she's been peppy and all around happy.

Anyway, almost instantly there seemed to be strong interest in each other. It doesn't seem very aggressive, but almost like extreme courting. He's been closely following here, but not quite biting at her. I noticed she has been VERY rough with the plants and keeps tugging on them quite vigorously which is weird. She also tends to stray away from him and keep making some courting motions while no where near him.

Very interesting to watch, I'm recording some of it as they go :fish:


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## Shahlvah (Dec 28, 2011)

Well like the said, so far ...so good. Let's see what happens....keep us posted.
I do have to go to work tomorrow so I am going to bed...but I will keep up with the post.


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