Andinoacara pulchers and terrors

[Christo7]

Hello I like the green terrors rivulatus and acaras pulchers. My question is can they be mixed together successfully to live together without too much issues or fighting? Although there will be some lip-locking will aggression subside or could they go at it until they kill? Seen some acaras and rivulatus interbreeding on YouTube. I do not intend to cross breed but only have as tankmates.

So I need to know if the 2 species will or won't cooperate to live together?the 2 species are stunning and I Please need help.

 

[Deadeye]

Welcome to the forum!
Oftentimes keeping 2 similar species of cichlids together is a recipe for disaster, especially in small tanks.
The far more aggressive green terror would likely kill off the Acara.
I had a similar question a while back:

Andinoacara tank?

So andinoacara cichlids are some of my favorites. Personality and colors seem really good with them, and for the brief time I have had a green terror and eba I very much enjoyed them. I would love to see multiple species of andinoacara (specifically rivulatus, pulcher, stalsbergi, and...

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

 

[Christo7]

Are males or female green terrors more aggressive please in general? Also could you please identify the sex in the pictures attached. They were juveniles but colouring up and getting mature. Please see photos 1 and 2. Please let me know if 1 and 2 is male/female. Both are different fish. Thanks.

 

[tlindsey]

Hello I like the green terrors rivulatus and acaras pulchers. My question is can they be mixed together successfully to live together without too much issues or fighting? Although there will be some lip-locking will aggression subside or could they go at it until they kill? Seen some acaras and rivulatus interbreeding on YouTube. I do not intend to cross breed but only have as tankmates.

So I need to know if the 2 species will or won't cooperate to live together?the 2 species are stunning and I Please need help.

Welcome aboard

 

[Deadeye]

Both look male to me but I’ve been wrong before. Generally the patterning on the fins is a giveaway (females lack it).
With most cichlids, the males tend to be the meaner ones but you will see aggression from both sexes.

 

[duanes]

I find the dorsal and anal fin extensions of male Andinoacara extend far into the caudal, while females only part way into the caudal.
These are A. coerleopunctatus below

Male above, female below

Males are also slightly more elongate shaped, and females slightly more boxy, females slightly darker in color

In the shot above male in the upper section.

Male above, female below, note how the darker bars are more prominent on the female

And as Deadeye said, I would not personally keep two species of Andinoacara in the same tank.
In general, I believe it is best to keep any cichlids of the same genus in separate tanks.
This is almost always the way they live in nature.
If kept together, they will in time probably either see each other as competitors and one species will end up worse for the wear, (as in dead) unless your tank is in the more than 200 gal size.
or they might interbreed producing unidentifiable mutts, neither pulcher nor rivulatus.