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Compatibility

Compatibility brief

Can African Cichlid live with Emerald catfish (Brochis)?

VerdictRISKY

Risky. This mix is commonly discouraged for typical setups.

African Cichlid + Emerald catfish (Brochis): Aggression mismatch. African Cichlid is aggressive, while Emerald catfish (Brochis) is peaceful. The aggressive fish will likely bully or harm the peaceful one. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.

Compatibility score

30/100

Profile confidence: low

Order of checkstank volume vs adults → predation mouth gap → temperament / fin nipping → shared water windows.

Min tank

200L

Combined minimum footprint reference for these two species: about 200L (larger active fish often want more length).

Temperature
Range in °C2428°C shared
African CichlidEmerald catfish (Brochis)Shared window
pH
RangeNo shared window
African CichlidEmerald catfish (Brochis)
Temperament / behaviour

African Cichlid (aggressive) and Emerald catfish (Brochis) (peaceful) are far apart on aggression — bullying or injury is a common outcome in average community layouts.

Assessment details

  1. Aggression mismatch

    Top issue

    African Cichlid is aggressive, while Emerald catfish (Brochis) is peaceful. The aggressive fish will likely bully or harm the peaceful one.

  2. Compatible temperature range

    Both fish can comfortably share similar water temperatures.

  3. Incompatible pH requirements

    African Cichlid prefers pH 7.8–9 and Emerald catfish (Brochis) prefers pH 5.8–7.2. Their ranges do not overlap.

African Cichlid is aggressive, while Emerald catfish…

Aggression mismatch

Next steps

Concrete changes, not "research more" filler.

  • African Cichlid should be kept in a group of at least 6 for best health and behaviour.
  • Emerald catfish (Brochis) should be kept in a group of at least 5 for best health and behaviour.

Try instead

  • African Cichlid should be kept in a group of at least 6 for best health and behaviour.
  • Emerald catfish (Brochis) should be kept in a group of at least 5 for best health and behaviour.
  • Build a species-only tank for the larger fish, or restock with fish too large to be eaten at adult sizes.
Sources from both profiles
Only URLs that exist on the species records are shown. We do not fabricate citations.

Try this next

Build the full stocking list with African Cichlid + Emerald catfish (Brochis)

Plan further

Try both species in the full-stock tank check, or open either fish profile for mates lists. Methodology explains how verdicts are produced.

Individual fish vary in personality. Fishori uses conservative hobby rules. Observe any new introduction closely, feed thoughtfully, and keep a quarantine or backup plan. This is not veterinary advice.

Profile data confidence: medium. Driven by the lower-confidence profile (African Cichlid): Based on typical aquarium care sources; trade names can be ambiguous, so details may vary between setups.