What are Ideal Cichlid Tank Mates?

Finding cichlid tank mates can be a challenge. As most cichlid owners know, these intelligent freshwater aquarium fishes are highly territorial. They hold and defend their territories with all their might. They also go through a complex ritual of courtship, egg rearing, and giving birth to offspring. That’s not all, they also like to rearrange their living environment according to their liking. Though it seems like they are hard to get along with, they’re still very popular. More and more aquarium hobbyists are fascinated with the cichlid’s behaviorally advanced nature. 

Although they are territorial, cichlid can get along with certain fish species like moors and scats. These fish species are known to co-exist peacefully with cichlids as long as they have been used to brackish water. Speaking of brackish, you can also choose from a wide range of brackish water catfish like Network Synos (Synodontis eupterus) and Raphael Talking catfish (Agamyxis pectinifrons), which you can keep with your cichlids with no difficulty. 

There’s also no need to worry about cichlids living with silver tip/Columbian sharks (Arius seemani). But they best get along with the African cichlids when they’re still young. When they mature, these shark species need salt water. 

Other ideal tank mates for cichlids include plecos, gouramis and mollies. They especially get along well with the rift lake cichlids. These fishes mentioned can tolerate water conditions with a pH level of 7.5. 

Take note that when cichlids don’t get along, they fight. Subordinate fish would tend to swim away from the ferocious territorial ones. But that’s in the wild. In the smaller world of aquariums, this can be difficult. What you can do is to provide shelter where the subordinate fish can hide. Driftwood, bog wood, plastic or live plants, and decorative rocks can be a great help. 

Apart from finding the right cichlid tank mates, you need to consider more things like the size of the aquarium. A 10-gallon aquarium should be fine for non-territorial fish species. But for housing a modest number of cichlids, it’s best to go for a 40- to 50-gallon aquarium. You should also keep in mind that cichlid fishes need clean, warm and well-oxygenated water. The ideal temperature should be 78 to 84 degrees.