Blue acara growth rate

[AtomicSunfish]

I got my true blue acara back in May, and I’m really enjoying him. Their colors and behaviors are wonderful. However, I get the impression he’s not growing as fast as other cichlids I’ve kept, even though he gets fed twice a day. Are blue acaras a relatively slow-growing fish?

[Fish Folk]

On 9/6/2024 at 8:02 AM, AtomicSunfish said:

I got my true blue acara back in May, and I’m really enjoying him. Their colors and behaviors are wonderful. However, I get the impression he’s not growing as fast as other cichlids I’ve kept, even though he gets fed twice a day. Are blue acaras a relatively slow-growing fish?

Here's a point of reference for you. These two videos are of the same batch of EBAs, taken 11 months apart. They were added to a 55 gal at ca. 4 weeks of age, so the second video represents their growth from hatching to 1 year. By 1 year, they were beginning to spawn. The large brooders in the 2nd video were the parents, added later. Males can get as large as an adult hand in the right environment.

July 1, 2021

 

Same batch, brooders added, May 20, 2022

I would never recommend anyone try to breed this many without a reliable plan to sell them. I ended up bagging up this entire tank in multiple styros, driving an hour away, and selling to a guy in a parking lot. Felt like a fish-drug-deal 😮‍💨

[Tlindsey]

On 9/6/2024 at 8:58 AM, Fish Folk said:

selling to a guy in a parking lot.  Felt like a fish-drug deal.

Had the same experience but I purchased  a group of Geophagus Redhead Tapajos off Aquabid. After leaving the gas station someone called the police and they pulled us over and asked what was in the container. I politely told the police officer they were  fish. Also pulled out the bag to show them. It scared my wife and children. The way things are now I'll never do that again. 

Edited September 6 by Tlindsey

[Tony s]

On 9/6/2024 at 10:14 AM, Tlindsey said:

After leaving the gas station someone called the police and they pulled us over and asked what was in the container.

Omg. Well next time you'll have to make the "exchange" at mcdonalds

[AtomicSunfish]

On 9/6/2024 at 7:58 AM, Fish Folk said:

Here's a point of reference for you. These two videos are of the same batch of EBAs, taken 11 months apart. They were added to a 55 gal at ca. 4 weeks of age, so the second video represents their growth from hatching to 1 year. By 1 year, they were beginning to spawn. The large brooders in the 2nd video were the parents, added later. Males can get as large as an adult hand in the right environment.

July 1, 2021

 

Same batch, brooders added, May 20, 2022

I would never recommend anyone try to breed this many without a reliable plan to sell them. I ended up bagging up this entire tank in multiple styros, driving an hour away, and selling to a guy in a parking lot. Felt like a fish-drug-deal 😮‍💨

Wow, what a great point of reference! Okay, that seems similar to the growth I’m seeing then (I got him as a baby from the best LFS in town). It looks like it might take a blue acara a couple years to reach adult size. Contrast that with angelfish and oscars, which reach adult size in about a year. Maybe those two species grow fast, while blue acaras are just typical. 😄

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 9/6/2024 at 8:14 AM, Tlindsey said:

I politely told the police officer they were  fish. Also pulled out the bag to show them.

Every illegal exchange I made when I was much younger happened inside the car. Every fish/shrimp exchange I’ve ever made happened outside the car. Lololol

 

Doesn’t change the fact that it doesn’t feel much different. Except all those inside the car exchanges weren’t to random people online lolololol. I’ve definitely driven away from selling shrimp going “well, that definitely could’ve looked like a drug deal”. 

[Tony s]

On 9/6/2024 at 12:53 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

Every illegal exchange I made when I was much younger happened inside the car

Yikes, that's rough. You doing okay? We've helped a lot of parents with their kiddos over the years. It's a tough thing to get over. Some never make it.

 

This hobby has got to be tremendously helpful. Most of the time.

Edited September 6 by Tony s

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 9/6/2024 at 11:33 AM, Tony s said:

Yikes, that's rough. You doing okay? We've helped a lot of parents with their kiddos over the years. It's a tough thing to get over. Some never make it.

Woops, sorry to cause concern. Ya, I’m doing great. Just made dumb choices as a young adult and I’m lucky I never got caught lol. It was “normal” where I grew up. 
 

These days I live a super boring life. One that I’m very grateful for. I go to work, and then I come home and hang out with my girl, our dog, and play with the tanks. I don’t even really drink anymore, I quit smoking like 60 days ago… super boring these days lol. 

[AtomicSunfish]

On 9/6/2024 at 12:37 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

Woops, sorry to cause concern. Ya, I’m doing great. Just made dumb choices as a young adult and I’m lucky I never got caught lol. It was “normal” where I grew up. 
 

These days I live a super boring life. One that I’m very grateful for. I go to work, and then I come home and hang out with my girl, our dog, and play with the tanks. I don’t even really drink anymore, I quit smoking like 60 days ago… super boring these days lol. 

Adulting may get kinda boring, but it has its perks, including health!

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 9/6/2024 at 5:19 PM, AtomicSunfish said:

Adulting may get kinda boring, but it has its perks, including health!

That’s the idea, right? Never really thought I’d make it this far. And now I have, so I figured I probably shouldn’t squander it.