Zebra Acara (Ivanacara adoketa)

The Zebra Acara or Starry Dwarf Cichlid is a medium sized, spectacularly marked cichlid found in blackwater habitat in the upper Rio Negro and Rio Uapes in Brazil and Colombia. In the wild, this species inhabits warm, acidic, heavily tannin-stained pools and creeks where breeding pairs defend territories from other fish. In the aquarium, they prefer soft water with temperatures in the low 80s and will display their best coloration with the addition of some tannins in the water from the addition of Indian Almond leaves or other botanicals. As these fish mature, they tend to be territorial and aggressive among themselves and with other cichlids, but other non-cichlid tankmates too big to be eaten will usually be ignored.