# Breeding Blue Acara



## Jillanne (Jul 6, 2009)

Greetings,
One of my mated pair of blue acara's are really cut up when I got home from work today. The eggs where laid on Thursday, "hatched" hmmm 2 days ago and now I have fry. The parents have now moved the fry times. First laid on the back of a dish, moved to a "pit" that they dug, moved to a new "pit" and tonight the fry where back in the original "pit".

The side of the head of the female is now shredded and the one side of the males lips are really swollen. I think its due to moving the fry around in a tank with gravel rather then sand. I had no idea they where going to breed as I just got them 2 weeks ago (long story). I know I have to change out the gravel for the sand but wondered if anyone had any suggestions on the sand as well as how to deal with the injuries.

I would post a picture but I don't know how


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

In my experience the best way to assist healing in a fish with minor injuries is to provide them with the cleanest water possible and to reduce stresses in their environment. If you feel additional help is needed you may consider using a product such as Melafix (or comparable).

If you use the search function on this forum you will easily find tons of information / opinions about sand.

I personally use Pool Filter Sand. It is large enough grained to not get pulled into filter intakes (which can damage filters if it does), it is quite easy to clean when initially purchased and best of all it is inexpensive ($8 per 50 lb).

Grain size is / should be the most critical factor when selecting sand. It doesnâ€™t matter how cheap the sand is, as soon as it ruins a $50+ filter itâ€™s expensive sand


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## Jillanne (Jul 6, 2009)

thanks Toby


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## Leucistic Guy (Jul 8, 2009)

IME mine never beat up each other. Only locked lips.
They did end up eating the fry but over all the only thing I noticed was puffy lips from all the lip locking.

If you feel the injuries are serious I'd consider maybe moving the one in worse shape into "Hospital tank" with clean warm water & add a little salt to help speed things up.
If there are no other predators that may eat the fry you could move out the parents & let them heal on their own. Or move the fry to a grow out tank.(the latter is more difficult)
Dealing with fry is quite stressful for the parents.

BTW: 
I may be a noob here but I'm not a noob to the hobby.
I've had fish around me all my life.


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## jack lover (Aug 12, 2008)

Go on www.photobucket.com and sign up for pics


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

Melafiz works great for healing wounds/fins. I dont think I would add it with fry though. If water is clean should heal fine on its own.

BTW...Acaras are SA not CA.

GL...Bill


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

Yep I never had any problems other than bruised lips with pulchers.

Rounded gravel is ok too - around 4mm grain size.


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## Leucistic Guy (Jul 8, 2009)

What other fish do you have in this tank?


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

Leucistic Guy said:


> What other fish do you have in this tank?


I only have 1 acara now - almost 4'', along with 5 keyholes (pair just spawned last night yay!) and 20 neons in a 40G


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## Jillanne (Jul 6, 2009)

No other fish in the tank. I think it was cause of the gravel but now that they are fry I doubt there will be any more damage to them. My batteries died the day I noticed the "eyes" but you can see the gravel.


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

They will fight with each other though, not in an aggressive way, but to make sure they are worthy enough for each other.

and theyll do it everytime they spawn.


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## Leucistic Guy (Jul 8, 2009)

Morcs said:


> Leucistic Guy said:
> 
> 
> > What other fish do you have in this tank?
> ...


What happened to the other one? Did you remove him/her?

Puffy lip and slightly torn fins are quite normal, if your find the fins to be nipped to a point were it causes concern I'd be worried.

Lip locking is just a way the Blue Acaras challenge each other, it's kind of how they say "back off".
Cool pix btw. 
Brings back memories of when mine spawned, unfortunately my big male died a few months back.

Good luck with the young.

Keep us updated.


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