What Fish Can You Put in With Cichlids?

Most cichlid species in captivity originated from Africa, Central America or South America. The majority are omnivorous, eating both animal and plant food. Some live best in groups because they are shoaling fish. In many cichlid species, care of the brood is highly developed. This can cause them to be aggressive, and some cichlids may eat smaller fish.

  1. Discus

    • One famous species of cichlid is the discus. Keep discus in a school of a minimum of six or seven. They should ideally all come from one reputable breeder. The quality of fish from aquarium shops is not guaranteed. There are few fish that are compatible with discus. They should preferably have a tank of their own because they become stressed by fin-nipping and the movement of larger fish. Corydoras and neon tetras are possible tank companions. Discus can also share a tank with loaches and catfish.

    Community Cichlids

    • Community cichlids, with the exception of discus, will live happily with all other community fish. Some examples of community cichlids are angelfish, blue acara, festivum and ram. These can live in the same tank as many other fish, including catfish, loaches, guppies, tetras and gouramis. Community fish will not attack or otherwise try to dominate other fish in their tank.

    Aggressive Cichlids

    • Some cichlids are aggressive or semi-aggressive. Convict, green terror, jack dempsey, and red oscar are all aggressive and can only share a tank with other similarly aggressive species, such as the red belly piranha or black paradisefish. The fish should be similar-sized. Semi-aggressive cichlids, such as firemouth and severum, may be timid while young but become more aggressive as they grow larger. In a community tank, watch them carefully.

    General Advice

    • Cichlids are most aggressive toward their own species or other species that are similar in size, shape and color. This is because cichlids perceive similar fish to be in competition with them for resources and breeding partners. Compatible tank mates for cichilds should look noticeably different. Also, cichlids live best in water with slightly higher-than-normal acidity. Fish that can tolerate this would make good companions, such as labeo sharks and rainbowfish.