Freshwater Fish
Electric Blue Acara.
The electric blue acara is a selectively bred cichlid glowing in electric metallic blue — the looks of something far harder to keep in a beginner-friendly 6-inch fish. Relatively peaceful for a cichlid; give a pair a 30-gallon-plus tank with caves and open swimming room.
In-store purchase only. Live fish, coral, and invertebrates are sold at our Erie store only. They cannot be bought online, and we do not ship live animals under any circumstances.
Live fish are priced per supplier batch — prices may vary. Call to confirm current pricing.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
Live animals are sold in store only — we do not ship fish, coral, or invertebrates. Every animal is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it reaches the sales floor. This is a species we carry — it's most likely in the tanks around delivery days, but live stock changes daily. Please call (814) 456-9445 to confirm availability before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Care level
- Beginner
- Temperament
- Semi aggressive
- Community
- Semi community
- Adult size
- 6"
- Min tank size
- 30 gallons
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Scientific name
- Andinoacara pulcher (hybrid / selectively bred line)
Good tank mates
This acara is semi-aggressive and a semi-community fish, so it wants similarly-sized, not-timid tankmates rather than a peaceful nano community. It's on the calmer end for a cichlid, but it can get territorial around its caves, especially a breeding pair. Good company is other medium, sturdy fish that can hold their own, like larger peaceful cichlids, bigger tetras (such as Congo or buenos aires tetras), or hardy catfish. Avoid tiny fish like ember tetras or shrimp that it could eat, and skip pairing it with much more aggressive cichlids that will bully it. When in doubt about a specific pairing, call us.
Good to know
The electric blue acara is a selectively bred color form of the blue acara, Andinoacara pulcher, developed for its intense metallic-blue coloration.
Stock and individual temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice before you buy.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. Stock and individual temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 to confirm before you buy.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
Bronze Cory
Peaceful, armored bottom-dwellers that occupy a different tank zone than the mid-dwelling Electric Blue Acara. Multiple size species are available well above predation risk for an adult EBA. No aggression or territorial conflict documented; one of the most universally recommended pairings in the hobby.
Bristlenose Pleco
Peaceful algae-eating bottom dweller with bony armor that makes it effectively predation-proof. Adults reach 4–5 inches — too large and too armored to be harassed. Stays on surfaces rather than competing for mid-water territory with the Acara.
- A
Angelfish
South American cichlid with overlapping water parameters (pH 6.5–7.5, 76–82°F) that primarily occupies the upper water column, reducing territorial overlap with the mid-dwelling Acara. Successfully kept together in 55+ gallon tanks across the hobby, though both species can show breeding aggression — a backup plan if a bonded pair forms is advisable.
- R
Rainbowfish
Active, schooling fish that stay in the upper water column away from the Acara's zone. Many captive-bred Melanotaenia species tolerate pH 7.0–7.5 and temperatures of 76–79°F, which sits comfortably within the EBA's preferred range. Non-aggressive and large enough (3–6 inches) to avoid predation.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.