Threadfin Acara Care Guide

The adult home

Use a long aquarium with a generous sand area, strong filtration, and broken lines of sight. Threadfins sift and excavate, particularly around spawning sites.

• Choose fine, smooth sand that can pass safely through the mouth and gills.
• Place stable wood and rounded rocks directly on the tank base before adding sand.
• Use hardy attached plants if desired; rooted plants may be disturbed.
• Provide several territories rather than a single prized cave.

Warm, stable water

FishBase reports 73–79°F (23–26°C) for the species. Captive-bred fish may be maintained somewhat warmer by breeders. Use the exact listing and shipment information as your transition target. A practical aquarium pH is often 6.5–7.5, but avoid sudden chemistry changes.

• Ammonia and nitrite: 0 ppm.
• Keep nitrate low and oxygen high.
• Test source water before using buffers or hardness products.

A varied omnivorous diet

Offer high-quality sinking or slow-sinking cichlid pellets sized for the fish, supplemented with frozen insect larvae, mysis, brine shrimp, and other suitable invertebrate foods. Include some plant matter through a balanced prepared food.

Spread food across the sand so subordinate fish can feed. Avoid feeder fish and large meals that leave food buried in the substrate.

Behavior and tankmates

Threadfin Acaras are often less combative than many similarly sized cichlids, but they still establish rank and breeding territories. Select robust, similarly sized fish that share their water requirements and are not fin nippers.

• Avoid tiny tankmates that may be swallowed and hyper-aggressive cichlids that keep Threadfins pinned down.
• Provide visual barriers and more than one feeding zone.
• Watch for one fish being excluded from food or shelter as pairs form.

The first 72 hours

1. Dim the lights and acclimate according to the included instructions.
2. Release into a prepared aquarium with open sand and multiple shelters.
3. Feed lightly after the fish settles and check that each individual eats.
4. Watch breathing, fin clamping, balance, and bullying at dawn and dusk.
5. Do not rearrange the aquarium repeatedly during the settling period.