Ivanacara bimaculata

Remarks:  The Ivanacara bimaculata we are currently offering were produced at home by one of our former team members, Rob Kidston. He is also the one credited with taking these stunning photos of his breeders, the parents of the fish you will be receiving upon purchase.     Most hobbyists are familiar with the Ivanacara genus only with regards to the zebra acara (Ivanacara adoketa) which while being fantastic larger-sized dwarf cichlids, have some aspects that make them not well suited for every aquarium. They can grow to a size large enough to be considered a medium-sized cichlid, usually will only spawn in a species only tank, and can be heavily territorial causing them to not be a great fit for smaller tanks or those looking to have breeding communities. This is where the Ivanacara bimaculata, the fish being offered in this listing, comes in as what many dwarf cichlid lovers have considered to be the better version of the more common zebra acara.   Ivanacara bimaculata are fairly new to the hobby despite having been first described all the way back in 1912 as Nannacara bimaculata by Eigenmann. Almost a century later in 2006, Romer and Hanh would reclassify them as Ivanacara bimaculata. It would not be until Gustav Eek along with a few other collectors went and personally collected these fish in 2019 to bring back to breed and distribute amongst other aquarists and vendors that they began to have a notable presence within the hobby. This is most likely due to their known native range being in a difficult to access area of Guyana, far up the Potaro and Essequibo drainages in a small, man-made blackwater lake.   With the work of hobbyists breeding and distributing them to other hobbyists as well as vendors, the Ivanacara bimaculata is starting to make quite the splash and it is not hard to see why once one gets their hands on this wonderful dwarf cichlid. They have absolutely stunning coloration especially when in breeding dress. Mature males display a black, brown, or dark red face with this coloration extending down the back and dotted with iridescent blue spots and stripes. This blue color can extend down into the belly that is typically mostly silver or tan but can sometimes be yellow or orange. The anal fin, caudal fin, dorsal fin, and eyes show a striking yellow color that contrasts nicely with the blue and darker colors. Mature females tend to have more of this yellow color in the body with less blue. Coloration can vary greatly depending upon both the individual fish and mood with the fish usually appearing darker when spawning or sparring. If a female displays a white vent with red or orange bumps, this is nothing to worry about and is just a trait shown by mature female Ivanacara bimaculata.   Not only are Ivanacara bimaculata beautiful, they have excellent personalities and hardiness as well. While they have an entertainingly spunky attitude typical of cichlids, it is far less extreme compared to Ivanacara adoketa. Usually, they just use bluffing to defend their small territories so rarely will they harm tankmates. Another difference from their close relative is that they are far more willing to spawn in a community setting and are more prolific making them easier to spawn. After finding a suitable spawning site, typically a small cave, a pair will work together to tend the eggs and defend the nest until the fry are able to fend for themselves. Ivanacara bimaculata display no predation or aggression to their own spawns so combined with their teamwork oriented care, they make fantastic parents. This, however, means they tend to not protect younger fry from their older siblings if they are not removed. Usually, fry can be safely separated from the parents around 2 months of age to avoid this.   While Ivanacara bimaculata almost always require extremely soft and acidic RO water to trigger spawning, they are more tolerant of a range of water parameters compared to Ivanacara adoketa. This makes Ivanacara bimaculata much easier to care for and a bit more beginner friendly. However, it should be noted that keeping them as close to their natural habitat as possible in regards to parameters will help them display their best coloration and remain healthy long term.  Typically Ivanacara bimaculata are not picky about eating and will eat just about anything offered. Being omnivores, they will benefit from a varied diet. For tankmates, there is a vast number of options so long as said tankmates are not small enough to be swallowed, big enough to swallow the acara, require different water parameters, or are overly aggressive. With all their great traits, we foresee these fish becoming a mainstay in the hobby and finding a place in many home aquariums.