Cichlids · Acarichthys
Threadfin acara
Acarichthys heckelii · Northern Amazon basin (Colombia, Peru, Brazil) and Essequibo, Guyana
We don't have a photo of the Threadfin acara yet. If you keep one, send us a picture of your fish and your name goes on its card.
Give us a picture and get creditAt a glance
Water temperature
24–30 °C 75–86 °F
pH
6–8 neutral water
Adult size
20 cm 7.9 in
Swims
Mid-water mostly in open water
Keep together
2 or more a shoal feels safe
Current
Calm still or slow water
Food
Eats most foods
Temperament ≈
Semi-aggressive
Where it comes from
Home water
Northern Amazon basin (Colombia, Peru, Brazil) and Essequibo, Guyana
Amazonas, Essequibo
Lives in river habitat.
The dot is placed on its home rivers, not an exact collecting site. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with low flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Good together
-
Candy stripe L015
Plecos · 10 cm · bottom -
Zebra L046
Plecos · 8 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Rainbowfish · 10 cm · mid-water -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water -
Celestial pearl danio
Rasboras & danios · 2.5 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Aggressive and will eat the threadfin acara
-
Aggressive
-
Want fast, strong current
Big white spot L142Blue phantom L128Butterfly hillstream loach
In the hobby
Where to find it
No store or breeder we know of has it right now.
Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.
Tanks with this fish
No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.
From keepers
Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.
Questions keepers ask
How big does a Threadfin acara get?
About 20 cm (7.9 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Threadfin acara need?
24–30 °C (75–86 °F).
What pH does a Threadfin acara need?
pH 6–8.
Does a Threadfin acara need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 2.
Is the Threadfin acara aggressive?
It can be. It is semi-aggressive, so choose tank mates carefully.
What does a Threadfin acara eat?
It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.
Where does the Threadfin acara come from?
Northern Amazon basin (Colombia, Peru, Brazil) and Essequibo, Guyana.
What fish can live with a Threadfin acara?
Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Zebra (L046), Amano shrimp, Boeseman's rainbowfish, Bolivian ram.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 24 | Sourced |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 30 | Sourced |
| pH min | 6 | Sourced |
| pH max | 8 | Sourced |
| Adult size (cm) | 20 | Sourced |
| Flow | Low | Sourced |
| Swim level (top / middle / bottom) | middle | Sourced |
| Habitat | river | Estimate |
| Smallest happy group | 2 | Sourced |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Estimate |
| Diet | Omnivore | Sourced |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.