- Common name
- Blue acara
- Scientific name
- Andinoacara pulcher
- Category
- Freshwater fish
- Group
- South American cichlids
- Environment
- Large freshwater aquarium with sand, wood or rock territories and open swimming room
- Origin
- Trinidad and Tobago and adjacent Venezuela; introduced through the aquarium trade elsewhere, including Australian records
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- Commonly about 11 cm standard length, with larger specimens reported up to 20 cm standard length
- Expected lifespan
- No dependable species-specific captive maximum was located; plan for a decade-scale commitment.
- Minimum housing
- At least 250 L with a 120 cm or longer footprint for a compatible pair
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C
- pH
- Unknown; use stable source-matched water
- Hardness / minerals
- Unknown; stable source-matched mineral content
- Salinity
- Freshwater, 0 ppt; routine salt addition is not recommended
- Lighting
- Moderate with shaded shelter
- Placement / zone
- Middle and lower water
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the complete adult blue acara group, with guarded intakes and accessible mechanical capture. Keep flow moderate with strong oxygen, sand and serviceable wood or rock territories where the fish lives, and maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite.
- Aeration
- Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, heavy feeding or any sign of rapid breathing.
- Maintenance
- Perform regular matched-water changes guided by nitrate and waste, remove uneaten food and trapped detritus, clean mechanical media without disrupting the biofilter, and record feeding, body condition, respiration and aggression.
Identity and search names
Single-species profile for Andinoacara pulcher. Aequidens pulcher is retained as a former combination; do not confuse it with selectively bred electric-blue hybrids or other Andinoacara.
Search names: Aequidens pulcher
Environment and housing
Use fine sand, wood or rounded rock, broad caves, sight breaks, open swimming space and strong biological filtration.
Social structure: Keep a compatible pair or one individual; larger groups need multiple territories and substantially more space
Feeding and nutrition
Feeding ecology: Omnivore feeding heavily on worms, crustaceans, insects and suitable prepared foods
Feeding routine: Offer measured quality cichlid pellets and varied invertebrate foods once or twice daily; avoid chronic overfeeding.
Breeding, reproduction or spread
Open substrate spawner
Detailed care and app-ready planning
- Identity scope
- Single-species profile for Andinoacara pulcher. Aequidens pulcher is retained as a former combination; do not confuse it with selectively bred electric-blue hybrids or other Andinoacara.
- Adult size and space
- Commonly about 11 cm standard length, with larger specimens reported up to 20 cm standard length. At least 250 L with a 120 cm or longer footprint for a compatible pair. Adult dimensions, activity and social structure matter more than sale size.
- Social structure
- Keep a compatible pair or one individual; larger groups need multiple territories and substantially more space
- Swimming zone or placement
- Primary zone: Middle and lower water. Keep that zone usable and provide escape routes, feeding access and uninterrupted movement appropriate to the species.
- Feeding ecology
- Omnivore feeding heavily on worms, crustaceans, insects and suitable prepared foods
- Feeding plan
- Offer measured quality cichlid pellets and varied invertebrate foods once or twice daily; avoid chronic overfeeding.
- Water stability
- Maintain 23–28 °C; pH: Unknown; use stable source-matched water; hardness/minerals: Unknown; stable source-matched mineral content. Stable temperature, oxygen and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing unsupported exact numbers.
- Habitat structure
- Use fine sand, wood or rounded rock, broad caves, sight breaks, open swimming space and strong biological filtration.
- Compatibility plan
- Use robust peaceful-to-moderate fish too large to swallow, with escape routes and enough room to avoid a breeding territory.
- Breeding or reproduction plan
- Open substrate spawner. Parental care: Both parents guard eggs and larvae. Do not trigger reproduction without capacity for aggression, eggs, fry and rehoming.
- Quarantine
- Quarantine in a separate cycled aquarium with dedicated nets, containers and siphons. Match temperature and mineral chemistry gradually, confirm normal feeding, respiration, skin, fins and waste, and never pour transport water into the established aquarium.
- Welfare checks
- Check pair compatibility, territory access, fin and mouth injuries, feeding equality, respiration and digging-related instability.
- Biosecurity and release
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Check the exact accepted identity in current BICON and applicable South Australian rules before import, sale or movement; import eligibility does not authorise release or wild collection.
- Main risk
- This aquarium fish has established non-native populations in Australia. Release, outdoor overflow and disposal failures are serious biosecurity risks.
- Adult projected load
- Project biological load from the full adult blue acara group, adult body mass, feeding pattern, activity and social requirement rather than juvenile sale size. A compatible adult pair has substantial biomass and can generate concentrated waste while excavating and defending a spawning territory.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the complete adult blue acara group, with guarded intakes and accessible mechanical capture. Keep flow moderate with strong oxygen, sand and serviceable wood or rock territories where the fish lives, and maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite.
- Aeration
- Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, heavy feeding or any sign of rapid breathing.
- Maintenance
- Perform regular matched-water changes guided by nitrate and waste, remove uneaten food and trapped detritus, clean mechanical media without disrupting the biofilter, and record feeding, body condition, respiration and aggression.
- Overridable warnings
- Non-overridable: do not accept persistent ammonia or nitrite, oxygen distress, starvation, chronic aggression or inadequate adult space. Different equipment, stocking or maintenance methods may be used only when measured water quality and adult welfare remain equivalent or better. The 120 cm adult footprint, stable décor and immediate separation capacity for pair breakdown are mandatory.
Compatibility, welfare and risk
Compatibility: Use robust peaceful-to-moderate fish too large to swallow, with escape routes and enough room to avoid a breeding territory.
Welfare: Check pair compatibility, territory access, fin and mouth injuries, feeding equality, respiration and digging-related instability.
Main warning: This aquarium fish has established non-native populations in Australia. Release, outdoor overflow and disposal failures are serious biosecurity risks.
Biosecurity and release
Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Check the exact accepted identity in current BICON and applicable South Australian rules before import, sale or movement; import eligibility does not authorise release or wild collection.