# Electric Blue Acara Breeding



## Porofessor (Dec 28, 2021)

So I have two Electric Blue Acaras, both of which I thought were male, but they’ve recently started showing courting behavior after a few large water changes. This includes:

Male shaking at female
Female ramming into the male’s side
The male trying to rip up leaves 
Egg tube dropped
Very territorial

this has been going on for a few days now and there’s no sign of eggs. How long does this courting last? Is there a chance they won’t lay eggs at all?


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Possibly yes. Have you got a flat rock, terracotta pot or something in the tank that the female can deposit the eggs on when spawning? And yes, sometimes these things can take some time. Keep an eye on those crazy kids. If it looks like one of them is getting the worst of it in all of that rough & tumble stuff, then you may have to intervene and pull it out for keeping in a hospital/quarantine tank to heal up.


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## Porofessor (Dec 28, 2021)

Auballagh said:


> Possibly yes. Have you got a flat rock, terracotta pot or something in the tank that the female can deposit the eggs on when spawning? And yes, sometimes these things can take some time. Keep an eye on those crazy kids. If it looks like one of them is getting the worst of it in all of that rough & tumble stuff, then you may have to intervene and pull it out for keeping in a hospital/quarantine tank to heal up.


I do have a few pieces of slate they can lay on as well as a terracotta pot. I’ve seen no physical damage to either of them, they seem very protective of one another, which is honestly very cute to watch. I’ll just keep an eye on them and hope for the best


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## Porofessor (Dec 28, 2021)

Just wanted to confirm, these are male and female correct? Pardon the (I assume female’s) need to poop when I’m taking pictures


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Hard to tell exactly (for me at least...), from your pictures. Female breeding tubes will have a blunt, u-shape. Males will appear more thin and pointed - like a triangle.


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## Porofessor (Dec 28, 2021)

Auballagh said:


> Hard to tell exactly (for me at least...), from your pictures. Female breeding tubes will have a blunt, u-shape. Males will appear more thin and pointed - like a triangle.


I think these could help a bit. Based on what you said I think it’s possible the larger one may be the female, contrary to what I thought. Honestly I’m not 100% sure, I’ve never bred cichlids except convicts and Multis, and those breed easier than guppies


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## Porofessor (Dec 28, 2021)

Is it possible they’re both males/females and just courting?


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

If you have spawning tubes (actually) dropping? Probably not. Those two should have spawned at this point, if that is happening (and they might still -sometimes it just takes a while). Otherwise.... if you have two males (or two females), they will do that stuff all the time, esp. in smaller tanks to work out and establish dominance issues.
Keep a close eye on 'em. And, as long as those 'games' in there don't get too rough, they should be just fine.


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## Porofessor (Dec 28, 2021)

Auballagh said:


> If you have spawning tubes (actually) dropping? Probably not. Those two should have spawned at this point, if that is happening (and they might still -sometimes it just takes a while). Otherwise.... if you have two males (or two females), they will do that stuff all the time, esp. in smaller tanks to work out and establish dominance issues.
> Keep a close eye on 'em. And, as long as those 'games' in there don't get too rough, they should be just fine.


They stick together constantly and fiercely defend a corner of the tank, so would them both bring the same sex be a possibility? They don’t fight each other, only other fish.


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Okay then.... 
Let's try to re-group on this situation.

What size aquarium are these EBA's in?
WHO else is in this tank with the EBA's?
About how old do you estimate these Cichlids are?
How large (in approximate length) do you estimate each of these EBA's to be?
Can you post up a picture of the tank?
-
And yes..... from what you are seeing, it's possible your EBA pair has 'sneak spawned' on you already! 
Yep.
Cues up Bob Seger's, _'NIGHT MOVES'._


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## Porofessor (Dec 28, 2021)

Auballagh said:


> Okay then....
> Let's try to re-group on this situation.
> 
> What size aquarium are these EBA's in?
> ...


Alright so, they’re in a 75 with

2 Severums
Blood Parrot
Peacock 
(Very young) Chocolate Cichlid
Couple random fish that came from my sister’s tank that she tore down 

I’d estimate they’re around 6-8 months 

The larger EBA is around 3.5” the other is about half an inch smaller.

and here’s the tank (during a water change, level is usually to the top)


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Oh yeah.....
I think you have A SPAWNING PAIR, of Electric Blue Acaras.
And those two, are under a LOT of pressure from the other residents of your 75 gallon tank. The aquarium is small - the occupants are many......
PRESSURE!!!
So, the next days could indeed be fraught.

Has the female EBA spawned - and actually laid, fertilized eggs?
Will the male EBA, 'step up' and just SLAY everyone who dares to approach within 2 feet of his spawning site?
And, sorry man.... I've got a Chinese Curse for you, that may apply here:

'MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES.'

Yep.
Drama ahead!
(This thing WILL get worse in the future, when your EBA will grow larger - and can destroy more fish to defend/control the spawning territory).


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## Porofessor (Dec 28, 2021)

Auballagh said:


> Oh yeah.....
> I think you have A SPAWNING PAIR, of Electric Blue Acaras.
> And those two, are under a LOT of pressure from the other residents of your 75 gallon tank. The aquarium is small - the occupants are many......
> PRESSURE!!!
> ...


Oh I definitely plan on moving the acaras out, just need time to get another tank together. In the meantime the only one that hasn’t learned _not_ to approach that side of the tank is my BP, but I see no damage on him, they just flare at each other.


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## Porofessor (Dec 28, 2021)

I appreciate the insight and help as well, will update if anything interesting happens.
Actually I do have one more question; would it be cruel to separate the pair, if rehoming becomes the only option? As in keep one of them and rehome the other?


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

No. Spawning pairs in the wild (at least for New World Cichlids), rarely last longer than it takes to get the fry grown out a bit past the free-swimming stage.


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## Itz_medicinal (8 mo ago)

I have two acaras in my 55 gallon. They have started to become way more interested in each other over the past few days. Following each other around the tank, have seen them “kissing” now a few times. I thought I had two males this entire time. Does anyone know if this looks like them starting to pair off? Could two males show these similar behaviors?


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Yes, you probably have two males.
And no, they are not 'kissing'. That lip-lock is a physical test of strength and dominance. It's a part of how they fight, and Cichlids do that sort of thing for all kinds of reasons.

Establish and hold territory.
Reinforce or establish dominance.
And yes.... lip-locking can be part of the 'dance' to determine strength and suitability in another Cichlid as a potential spawning partner.
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But no... with a look at what I can see in your pics, it does not appear (now at least....) that you have a male-female Blue Acara pre-spawning thing going on in your aquarium.


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