I have a green terror and what I believe to be a blue acara living in my 75 gal tank. Today, the blue acara laid eggs. Can these fish cross-breed?
One caveat: I got the blue acara along with five other convicts when I set up my tank (I asked for six convicts, but the blue acara was mistaken for a convict and got scooped up). Early on I recognized that 'Elvis' was different from the other paired-off convicts, taking on the distinct blue pectoral markings of a blue acara. I called the fish shop and confirmed that these species shared a tank.
Later, I purchased 'Bruce' the green terror and added him to help regulate the breeding convicts (two convict pairs have also recent spawned in this tank, about 30-40 per spawning). I noticed that Bruce and Elvis paired off and patrolled the tank together-- nothing too odd, I've had Oscars do the same so it looked like typical Central American cichlid behavoir. The Bruce started rubbing himself repeatedly against a black smooth stone in the tank. He did this for about two days while Elvis watched. Yesterday, the pair aggressively fought off all other cichlids in the tank. Bruce began fervently moving gravel around the smooth stone.
This morning, Elvis and Bruce engaged in what resembled lip-locking and tail-slapping behaviors I had seen in Oscar mating. But I was confused: they were different species, and I thought both to be male. An hour later, I was proven wrong on at least on of those suppositions when Elvis (or Elvira) deposited about 80-100 golden eggs on the black rock.
So my question is, can Blue Acara and Green Terrors cross-breed, and what do the hybrids look and behave?
One caveat: I got the blue acara along with five other convicts when I set up my tank (I asked for six convicts, but the blue acara was mistaken for a convict and got scooped up). Early on I recognized that 'Elvis' was different from the other paired-off convicts, taking on the distinct blue pectoral markings of a blue acara. I called the fish shop and confirmed that these species shared a tank.
Later, I purchased 'Bruce' the green terror and added him to help regulate the breeding convicts (two convict pairs have also recent spawned in this tank, about 30-40 per spawning). I noticed that Bruce and Elvis paired off and patrolled the tank together-- nothing too odd, I've had Oscars do the same so it looked like typical Central American cichlid behavoir. The Bruce started rubbing himself repeatedly against a black smooth stone in the tank. He did this for about two days while Elvis watched. Yesterday, the pair aggressively fought off all other cichlids in the tank. Bruce began fervently moving gravel around the smooth stone.
This morning, Elvis and Bruce engaged in what resembled lip-locking and tail-slapping behaviors I had seen in Oscar mating. But I was confused: they were different species, and I thought both to be male. An hour later, I was proven wrong on at least on of those suppositions when Elvis (or Elvira) deposited about 80-100 golden eggs on the black rock.
So my question is, can Blue Acara and Green Terrors cross-breed, and what do the hybrids look and behave?
