Home New World Cichlids Aequidens Yellow Acara
Yellow Acara
(Aequidens metae)
• Care Level: Easy • Temperament: Semi-aggressive • Maximum Size: 6"
• Minimum Tank Size: 45 gallons • Water Conditions: 74-84° F, pH 5.5-7.0, KH 1-5
• Diet: Omnivore • Origin: South America • Family: Cichlidae
• Species: Aequidens • Aquarium Type: New World Cichlid Aquarium
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Species Information
Yellow Acara native habitat, distribution, behavior & aquarium compatibility.
Aequidens metae, also known as the Yellow Acara, is a very attractive species that originates within still to slow moving waters in South America. They have a tannish base color with a black, lateral spot; the spot is separated by two pale-gold to orange, vertical bands.
The most beautiful and distinctive feature of the Yellow Acara is the electric, gold to blue-green iridescent markings over their operculums (gill covers). They have metallic, gold-green hued scales on their flanks that become translucent at their fins. A male will have more elongated dorsal and anal fins than the female.
The male will also be larger than the female, but the female will grow thicker.
Aquarium Care
How to successfully keep Yellow Acara in the home aquarium.
Yellow Acara require an aquarium of at least 45 gallons and should be provided with multiple places where they can find shelter (driftwood, rock structures, or dense vegetation).
Although they are generally considered to be a peaceful species and have been successfully kept in Community aquariums, the Yellow Acara is can show aggression; even more so during breeding. Yellow Acara will bully small fish and eat the tiny ones, therefore, tank mates should be considered carefully and should be comparable in size.
Feeding & Nutrition
How to properly feed Yellow Acara and provide a healthy diet.
The Yellow Acara is an omnivore and should be fed a variety of foods, such as frozen or freeze-dried brine shrimp, bloodworms, blackworms, flake food, and Cichlid pellets.
Yellow Acara also relish live food and should occasionally be provided with live brine shrimp, guppies, minnows, shrimp, worms, and crickets.
Breeding Information
How to successfully breed Yellow Acara in the aquarium environment.
Yellow Acara are substrate, egg layers that practice brood care. Yellow Acara are difficult to breed, but to help induce breeding and sustain the ideal breeding environment, the water level should be lowered and then replaced while the temperature is raised to and maintained at about 86° F.
The female Yellow Acara will lay from 150-250 eggs in a carefully cleaned and selected location (smooth stones, slate, flat rock, etc). The eggs will hatch in 2-3 days and the fry should be swimming around within a week.
The newly hatched fry can be fed a diet of baby brine shrimp and then moved to other foods as they mature.
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