What fish can live with African Cichlid?

Use the "Often compatible" lists as a shortlist, not a stocking plan. Always run the pair tool and check the footprint of your actual tank first. Verify behaviour for African Cichlid against your own reading before you buy.

What tank mates should you avoid with African Cichlid?

Avoid Neon Tetra, Guppy, Corydoras Catfish, Platy, Oscar based on size, temperament, or predation risk on file.

What size tank do African Cichlid need for a community?

200L is the planning floor for adult swimming space and bioload headroom. Long-term, a 244L+ tank lets adults use the full footprint without crowding the next species. Footprint, meaning length and front-to-back depth, matters as much as raw volume for active or territorial species.

African Cichlid tank mates

A broad label for dozens of Rift Lake species sharing aggression and hard water requirements. Multiple males in an understocked tank triggers lethal hierarchy fights.

Evidence: partially verified

Confidence: medium

Lists below are built from this species record (safest, best with, risky, unsafe) — each link opens a pair-level check, not a guarantee.

← Full African Cichlid profile·Compatibility checker·Tank builder·More cichlid

Best tank mates (on file)

Merged from conservative safest and best with fields — de-duplicated by species.

Molly Pair check
The African Cichlid profile lists Molly as both safe and a recommended pairing. Molly is a peaceful beginner-care species with a 80L minimum. Run the pair checker for your specific tank before stocking.
Sailfin Molly Pair check
The African Cichlid profile lists Sailfin Molly as both safe and a recommended pairing. Sailfin Molly is a peaceful beginner-care species with a 120L minimum. Run the pair checker for your specific tank before stocking.

Risky or situational

From risky tank mates and broad avoid with (excluding “unsafe” below). May work with species-only setups, more water, or mature systems — read the pair page.

None on file beyond the safe list.

Fish to avoid with African Cichlid

From the unsafe list — predation, aggression, or space rules on this profile.

Neon Tetra See why (pair)
African Cichlid is flagged as predatory or as likely to eat small fish, and Neon Tetra at 4cm is well within an adult African Cichlid's gape.
Guppy See why (pair)
African Cichlid is flagged as predatory or as likely to eat small fish, and Guppy at 5cm is well within an adult African Cichlid's gape.
Corydoras Catfish See why (pair)
African Cichlid is flagged as predatory or as likely to eat small fish, and Corydoras Catfish at 6cm is well within an adult African Cichlid's gape.
Platy See why (pair)
African Cichlid is flagged as predatory or as likely to eat small fish, and Platy at 6cm is well within an adult African Cichlid's gape.
Oscar See why (pair)
Oscar reaches 35cm and is flagged predatory. African Cichlid at 15cm is prey-sized for it.

Tank size and groups

Published minimum for African Cichlid: 200L — group minimum 6 .
Compatibility changes when the tank is too short for turning, too little for a real school, or too warm for one species and not the other — that is why pair checks include tank context, not only temperament.
Nearest litre hub to this minimum: 200L hub.

Easier alternatives to consider

Conservative beginner-peaceful picks from the library — not replacements for reading, but a shorter on-ramp than this species for a first tank.

Plan before you buy

Pair checks for every mix, then multi-species stocking in the builder.

Open compatibility checker Tank builder

Filtration & heating

A 200L minimum tank for African Cichlid needs a filter rated for at least 800L/hr turnover and a heater maintaining 24–28°C.

Filter buying guide →Heater buying guide →Beginner plants guide →

Related (care + temperament)

Other species that list African Cichlid

Reverse lookup: these profiles reference African Cichlid under safe or “best with” lists.

Cuckoo / petricola catfish tank mates