Nannacara anomala: Green Akarka - A Small Cichlid with a Big Heart

The green Akarka is a typical species of the genus Nannacara, which belongs to the complex of related forms Nannacara bimaculata. The fish was first described by REGAN in 1905 from the Essequibo River in Guyana.

The complex Nannacara anomala is found in the coastal waters from Venezuela south to the mouth of the Amazon, while the species complex Nannacara bimaculata is found only in the interior of Guyana and in the upper basin of the Rio Negro River in Brazil. A typical feature of green Akarkas is their noticeably small mouth, distinct sexual dimorphism, and very contrasting coloration of the male during its care for offspring. The male grows over 6 cm, while the female reaches up to 4 cm. 

Homeland

Most green Akarkas in our conditions come from Czech, possibly European, but now also Asian breeders. Only a minority come from South America, where they live in black waters with a pH of 3.9-4.2, dGH, and dKH under Apistogramma steindachneri. 

Aquarium for green cichlids

The size depends on how many fish we keep here. For a pair, 20-40 liters is sufficient; the more fish, the more space is needed. The male is the boss in the aquarium; ideally, it is good to keep several females with him. The females have their mini-territories, which the male will patrol, and even with several females, he will gradually breed. We recommend using soft to moderately hard water at 22-25°C. 

Food

In the wild, they feed on small worms, insects and their larvae, and many invertebrates. In captivity, we try to prefer a varied live diet, mainly plankton and mosquito larvae, but they also accept quality pellets that correspond to the size of their mouth. 

Characteristics

This is a very social and peaceful cichlid, which we keep in the company of equally peaceful and calm fish, mainly smaller tetras. However, they easily breed in a community aquarium. The female can be very aggressive when protecting her offspring. Sometimes, she may also guard the noise of daphnia or a bunch of threadworms! 

Breeding

They breed easily in a community aquarium, and if there are no predatory fish as tankmates, the young females will take care of the fry. However, it is calmer for them to provide a 20-40 liter breeding tank, where breeding can then proceed without problems. The male can be removed after spawning to avoid unnecessarily harassing the female. Starter food is fine brine shrimp nauplii or fine non-pelletized powder, then we adjust the size of the food to the growing fry's mouth size. 

Images

1. The adult male green Akarka is a majestic fish.
2. Akarkas belong to cichlids that spawn on solid surfaces. They clean the surface thoroughly before spawning. 
3. Spawning is usually calm.
4. The female is a model of care for her own brood and fry.