Andinoacara pulchra - Aren't They a Bit Young For This???

I have had Blue Acaras in the past. And when Spencer Jack at aFISHionados in Winnipeg brought in some wild caught youngsters, I couldn't resist, picking out six. They were just over an inch and appeared very healthy and vigorous. I put them in with ten similarly sized Astatheros altifrons young from a recent spawn. They were housed in a 25G cube tank with a sponge filter and silica sand substrate. I decided not to decorate the tank for ease of maintenance. After about a month or so, the 'pulchra', at 1 1/2 to 2" started to show increased coloration and began to interact with one another. It seems I ended up with four males and two females. Yesterday, I noticed one pair guarding a clutch of eggs which they laid on a heater. I immediately pulled the plug so the eggs wouldn't 'hard boil'. Here are some pictures of the really young (and very attractive) Blue Acara parents, all 2 inches of them, doing a great job protecting their very first spawn.
[video=youtube_share;RirTpQEstcc]http://youtu.be/RirTpQEstcc[/video]

darth pike said:

As I keep saying, one of the most under rated cichlids in the hobby is the poor ol' blue acara. Very sweet that you got some wilds in.

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ryansmith83 said:

As far as cichlids go, acaras are my favorite. You really can't beat the blue acaras -- mild enough for a community, small enough to not require a massive tank, great parents, beautiful shape and colors, easy to care for and spawn -- it's no wonder they've been a staple in the hobby for so long.

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I'm in full agreement with your comments . . . one highly under rated beauty!!