Can hatchetfish live with electric blue acaras?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Hatchetfish and electric blue acaras can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown electric blue acara may treat small hatchetfish as food, especially at night.

Hatchetfish75–81°F · pH 5.5–7.5

Electric blue acara72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outA grown electric blue acara may treat small hatchetfish as food, especially at night.

What works

Both are fine at 75–81°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: hatchetfish the top, electric blue acaras the mid.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Hatchetfish	Electric blue acara
Temperature	75–81 °F	72–82 °F
pH	5.5–7.5	6.5–7.5
Adult size	1.5 in	6.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Top	Middle
Group	Groups of 6+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for hatchetfish

All hatchetfish tank mates

Better tank mates for electric blue acaras

All electric blue acara tank mates

Questions

Can hatchetfish live with electric blue acaras?

Yes, with care. Hatchetfish and electric blue acaras can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown electric blue acara may treat small hatchetfish as food, especially at night.

What temperature suits both hatchetfish and electric blue acaras?

75–81 °F. Hatchetfish need 75–81 °F, electric blue acaras need 72–82 °F.

What size tank do hatchetfish and electric blue acaras need together?

At least 30 gal, set by the electric blue acara. Add space for each extra fish.