If you’re looking to breed them, the proper breeding environment isn’t hard to achieve. In captivity, Mbuna should have an algae-based diet to keep them happy and healthy. Their diet in the wild consists of zooplankton blooms and aufwuchs.Īufwuchs is a German word which boils down to meaning “surface growth.” Just like the vast lake they come from, their tank should be taller and wider than your average aquarium. They prefer a pH above 7.5, and temperatures between 75 and 79 degrees. These herbivores can reach up to five to six inches when kept in a properly sized tank with the right conditions. These colorful beauties are from East Africa’s Lake Malawi, and their colors range from orange to yellow to blue. Not only can they be kept in a community together, but they can be kept with other species as well, like peacock cichlids, for example. They can also be housed with other non-aggressive fish, as long as they can still have their own space.Īnother species that can be kept together are Mbuna. They can even have non-cichlid tank mates, too! They’ve very active fish and spend a lot of their time near the bottom of their tank. They like their water hardness between 4 to 6 dH, and a pH level between 7.5 and 8.5. If you can, try and keep the water closer to 80. Native to Lake Malawi in Eastern Africa, these fish prefer warmer waters, with temperatures between 74 to 82 degrees.
![red zebra cichlid plant eating red zebra cichlid plant eating](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a4/96/8b/a4968b8163e2336bb9d32196a21e3a00.jpg)
The latter is somewhat difficult to find, but it’s well worth the search! There are quite a few different types of peacock cichlids, the more popular including red peacock, OB peacock, and strawberry peacock cichlids. When they’re kept in a larger tank, they’re less likely to be aggressive. While the males can be territorial, that can be fixed by giving them their own space. Peacock Cichlids are another species that are fine to live in groups. These fish are carnivores, like most other cichlids. Their diet is made up of live food like brine shrimp. Like all other cichlids, they should have a fairly large tank.Ī good rule of thumb to follow is to keep fish that grow larger than seven inches in a 50-gallon tank or larger. Their natural habitat is between 75 and 85 degrees, and their pH preference is between 6 and 7.5. These colorful fish can grow to be anywhere from 3–15 inches and live up to 20 years. South American River Cichlids can be found in any of Africa’s three great lakes as well as the Amazon River. They’re far less prone to aggression and can even get along with other fish like Corydoras and tetras! South American River Cichlids, also known as large river cichlids, are another species that can be housed together. They’ll also do just fine on a diet of flakes and pelleted food. They can be fed insects, insect larvae, frozen brine shrimp, and crustaceans. One male for every three females should help keep the peace.Īs for their habitat, West African Dwarf cichlids prefer a pH between 7 and 7.5 with temperatures between 78 and 84 degrees.Īs for their diet, Dwarf cichlids will be generally easy to feed. They can be prone to showing aggression, especially if you plan to breed them, so you should have more females than male fish in your tank. They do better in groups, but we can’t say that they’re entirely peaceful, either. They’re on the less aggressive side of the species and will be a little easier to keep together.ĭwarf Cichlids, when compared to their relatives from Africa, are a bit smaller, only reaching about four inches. The first group you can keep together are Dwarf Cichlids. Here are the rare few which should be fine to keep in the same tank. It is possible to house some species together. That’s not to say there’s no chance at all! Most African Cichlids are too aggressive to be kept together in groups. Sadly, however, no fish is without its flaws. They’re more likely to survive when rookie tank owners make common mistakes. Many of those species can be found in Africa, South America, and Asia, though almost all African Cichlids live in one of East Africa’s three great lakes: Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi, and Lake Tanganyika. Which Types of African Cichlids Can Be Kept TogetherĪfrican Cichlids are a part of the Cichlidae family, which could include up to 1500 species-meaning you’ve got quite a few fish to choose from! Which African Cichlids can be kept together? There’s only one tiny snag: their aggression.Īfrican Cichlids can have a hard time getting along with other fish-even those in their own species. There’s one to go with any aquarium’s theme, and anyone watching them is sure to be dazzled.
![red zebra cichlid plant eating red zebra cichlid plant eating](https://images3.ratemyfishtank.com/photo/12/1180x864h/43000/43474/20105-10-red-empress-1wdck6.jpg)
African Cichlids are gorgeous fish that have an amazingly wide variety of patterns and colors.