Blue Acara and Angels or rainbow cichlid?

[Ogertron3000]

I have done a bit of a clean out and rehoused most of my fish, I now have a 40G with a solo blue acara of unknown sex which is pretty much full grown. Its looking a bit empty, my LFS is stocked up for once, they have a nice variety of angels, i particularly like the "peruvian altum" and the fish i originally wanted, Multispinosa or rainbow cichlid. The rainbows are available grown or small , most likely i would get- 1 small or possibly 2 rainbows or 3 of the angels.
Anyone kept this combo or any thoughts on how it would go?

 

[PhishMon84]

Seems like a lot of cichlids for a small tank, may be better a medium size tank, something like 75 or 90

 

[duanes]

I would guess in such a small tank, any other cichlid now added would be seen as a competitor and interloper to be vanquished. with prejudice (maybe even angels).
If it were me, I'd add some type of non cichlid dither fish, like a very fast similar size tetras
A friend kept Astyanax tetras with EB Acaras in a similar size tank, but I believe he grew them out together.
I'd also worry about water parameters for wild type angels like Perivians..
You could try a couple locally bred angels as sacrificial lambs, to see how intensely Acara would react, fully aware that they will be shredded, or at minimum lose those nice long fin trailers.

 

[Ogertron3000]

Seems like a lot of cichlids for a small tank, may be better a medium size tank, something like 75 or 90

It will be either the angels or the rainbows not both. Im thinking the rainbows may be aggresive. I have an empty 4x2x2 in my shed but no room to set it up at the moment so my 3 foot 40G is scratching my aquarium itch but obviously has its limits.

I would guess in such a small tank, any other cichlid now added would be seen as a competitor and interloper to be vanquished. with prejudice (maybe even angels).
If it were me, I'd add some type of non cichlid dither fish, like a very fast similar size tetras
A friend kept Astyanax tetras with EB Acaras in a similar size tank, but I believe he grew them out together.
I'd also worry about water parameters for wild type angels like Perivians..
You could try a couple locally bred angels as sacrificial lambs, to see how intensely Acara would react, fully aware that they will be shredded, or at minimum lose those nice long fin trailers.

The acara has been very mellow with various tankmates over the years, with the rainbows i was more concerned they would be beating up the acara.
Angelfish names are a bit weird and possibly made up here, im not sure how they compare to the U.S. The true pure Altum are also for sale in the same shop, about as big as your thumbnail for $240 each which is out of the question for me. The "peruvian altum" are locally bred, they look just like the classic 3 stripe angelfish with nice long fins, they also have what they call "rio nanay altum" which is the same thing but with normal fins, if i think of an angelfish its what pops into my head. They have some blue and koi varietities too but they arent appealing to ma at the moment. It seems any pure strain natural looking angel gets the Altum name added on to it to increase its price and appeal.
I have been getting fish that i know will outgrow the tank and then onselling or rehousing them when they get a bit big which has been fun but now i want some long term fish, the acara is about 3 years old, ive had it since it was 3cm so its the one fish im attached to, my daughter loves it too so it will stay no matter what.

 

[PhishMon84]

In Massachusetts they call the wild type from Peru, Peruvian Altums but they are not that species just an attractive wild type with similar baring but they are the same scalare we see commonly around.

Real Altums need very specific water chemistry like discus- there are some white water collections but the black water types seem more commonly imported. Unless you have water that meets their needs I’d give the true Altums a miss

 

[JDCichlid]

I’ve been growing out a group of 6 F1 Rio Nanay angels (“bought”/given at a few weeks old from a local fish breeder) with a large EBC in my 240. The acara has never bothered them but at 5 inches he swims all over the place and seems to be a really active fish. I can’t imagine him in a 40 gallon with angels

 

[Ogertron3000]

In Massachusetts they call the wild type from Peru, Peruvian Altums but they are not that species just an attractive wild type with similar baring but they are the same scalare we see commonly around.

Real Altums need very specific water chemistry like discus- there are some white water collections but the black water types seem more commonly imported. Unless you have water that meets their needs I’d give the true Altums a miss

I will definately be giving the altums a miss, far too costly and high maintenance for me at the moment.
My retirement project will be a nice big biotope set up around them hopefully but for now its out of the question.

I’ve been growing out a group of 6 F1 Rio Nanay angels (“bought”/given at a few weeks old from a local fish breeder) with a large EBC in my 240. The acara has never bothered them but at 5 inches he swims all over the place and seems to be a really active fish. I can’t imagine him in a 40 gallon with angels

My acara is very chilled and just hangs out around some wood unless its feeding time which is why i wary of putting the rainbow cichlids in with it and a few angels would be more suitable.
Im not sure a 40G here has the same dimensions as the US, a lot of the time when i post a full tank shot people say it doesnt look like a 40G and refer to a 40G breeder which is a term we never use here. My dimensions are 36L x 14W x 18H in inches , whats the standard US 40G measurements?

 

[BIG-G]

I kept a pair of adult marble angel with an electric blue Acara, with minor chasing from the Acara every now and then nothing too serious. Usually at feeding time.
This was in a 75 gallon.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

I would not underestimate angelfish aggression,especially with each other.
Once they hit breeding age they can get very feisty with each other.
I would have a re think personally. Maybe some none cichlid tank mates would be a better option. Larger tetras like diamonds or bleeding hearts. Or maybe a few hoplo catfish or something like that.

 

[Ogertron3000]

I would not underestimate angelfish aggression,especially with each other.
Once they hit breeding age they can get very feisty with each other.
I would have a re think personally. Maybe some none cichlid tank mates would be a better option. Larger tetras like diamonds or bleeding hearts. Or maybe a few hoplo catfish or something like that.

Hey , good to see you back on the scene, its been a while.
I would like Hoplos but you never see them here, if i found some i would buy them in a flash. Years ago i had them and i enjoyed them even though everyone else said they were ugly.
I was even thinking about temporarily getting some salmon cats, they have some 5cm ones for sale but they would grow so quick i would only have them for a few months most likely and as I said i want some more permanent fish. Pictus are a consideration too but they are expensive and a bit too boisterous for my tastes.
I was thinking angels as i was going off the rule that cichlids ususally see fish with similar body shape and/or colours as competition so the angels would look a lot more different to the acara than the rainbow cichlids.
Its also nice to see some pure strains of them for sale too, all in seperate tanks in the LFS, labelled and so different from each other. Much better than the usual mix of all sorts of low quality "assorted angels $10 each or 3 for $25" that has been the norm for the last few years.