Description
Thread Finned Acara is a freshwater fish in the cichlid family. They are stunning aquarium fish to keep and easy to care. Adult fish develop very nice long trailing filaments to their finnage and make excellent display specimens. Can be aggressive, so ensure tankmates are of a hardy nature. In nature this fish burrows into peat substrate and breeds in tunnels.
Native to northern parts of the Amazon basin in Colombia, Peru and Brazil.
Features of Thread Finned Acara:
- Body is an overall yellowish to white to silver base
- Horizontal blueish-green scales give them a sparkling appearance
- Dorsal fin and tail exhibit red thread-like trailing fins
- Mature females have a much thicker body than males
- Immature fish are duller and feature a marble appearance - sexual maturity is 2-3 years
- Grows to 20cm
Thread Finned Acara: Care, Diet and Tank Mates
The Best Aquarium Size for Thread Finned Acara:
The minimum recommended tank size for the Thread Finned Acara is 150L or larger. If keeping a pair or in a community aquarium, a larger aquarium will be required. This fish can be territorial and prone to aggression in smaller tanks.
Check out these suitable aquarium brands:
After an Aquarium for your fish? Browse Aquarium Tank Selection here.
Tank Mate Compatibility:
Thread Finned Acara is generally peaceful, they will not eat other species that much bigger than 2cm, however they can become territorial especially during breeding. They can do well in a community fish tank with other large and peaceful species that are not prone to fin nipping or in groups of 8 or more of the same species.
Here’s a list of some of the best tank mates for your Thread Finned Acara:
Diet:
Thread Finned Acara's are omnivores. The ideal diet for Thread Finned Acara is a mix of pellets or flakes with live, frozen or freeze dried food options to supplement the diet. They also benefit from some spirulina based foods and blanched spinach. A varied diet and high quality flake or pellet will enhance the colour of your fish.
Here are some great food options for you Thread Finned Acara:
Check out our extensive range of aquarium fish foods.
Blue Acara Tank Setup:
Aquarium Filtration for Thread Finned Acara
A good filtration system is necessary as they enjoy clean and clear waters with a slow flow rate. Ensure your filter has an adequate flow rate to effectively remove waste from the aquarium.
Shop our comprehensive range of aquarium filters here.
Aquarium Heater for Thread Finned Acara
This fish enjoy temperatures between 24 - 28° C. If you are unable to maintain this temperature naturally, use an aquarium heater. Aquarium heaters also stabilize water temperatures. A thermometer is recommended to monitor the water temperature.
Get yourself a new aquarium heater here.
Aquarium Lighting for Thread Finned Acara
Thread Finned Acara are happiest in a dimly lit environment. We recommend LED aquarium lighting with adjustable brightness to ensure the light level can be altered for happy fish. If using moderate regular lighting, broad leaf and floating aquarium plants can offer shaded areas.
Need aquarium lighting? View available aquarium lighting here.
Aquarium Plants for Thread Finned Acara
Thread Finned Acara are naturally found in heavily vegetated river streams however they are robust diggers and will rearrange your aquarium. We recommend using anubias planted on driftwood which enables you to keep plants, without the uprooting.
Interested in live plants for your aquarium? View our range of live aquarium plants here.
Aquarium Decorations Thread Finned Acara
Rock & wood can be placed in the aquarium to mimic natural habitats and provide hiding locations to retreat to and reduce stress. They are a territorial species that will enjoy space to create territories in the aquarium.
Some aquarium decorations to explore include:
View our large range of aquarium decorations here.
Substrate for Thread Finned Acara
The Thread Finned Acara requires a sandy substrate as they are heavy diggers especially at spawning.
View our range of aquarium substrates here.
