I have been asked this question many times by friends and family and the reasons are multiple. I think the most attractive aspect of cichlidophily is their brood care. When I first bred a pair of kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher) in a 80L tank in my bedroom I knew I was hooked. Just watching the parents care for the eggs and in time herd their small school of fry around the tank, all the time fending off attacks from other community species, is enough to intrigue anyone. Most people begin their cichlid keeping hobby by buying a single cichlid or a pair of cichlids such as angelfish, kribensis or blue rams for their community aquarium. In a community setting it rapidly becomes apparent that the cichlids are more intelligent than most of the other community species. They are first to feed and often show complex behaviours such as displaying to each other in elaborate rituals or defending their territory (often the whole tank) from any reflections in glass.

Recently I visited a small aquarium in Chatswood in Sydney’s northern suburbs and asked about cichlids in stock, I was told by a helpful sales assistant that they “..did not stock cichlids, as they are too aggressive….” They did not stock any cichlids only oscars, jewelfish, discus, angelfish, Bolivian and blue rams, kribensis some humphead acaras. (All of which are commonly available members of the family Cichlidae). This illustrates a couple of commonly held myths about cichlids, firstly the sales assistant believed the term “cichlids” referred only to the cichlid fishes of the eastern African rift lakes and secondly that all cichlids are aggressive.

Cichlids are representative of a large family of fishes with approximately 1000 member species, the cichlids that are commonly available in the aquarium are from Central and South America, Asia, Madagascar and tropical Africa. For the novice hobbyist it is easiest to divide these fishes into a number of geographical groups for keeping in aquaria. It is important not to mix fish between the various geographically morphs as many problems may arise.

Large Central American Cichlids

Commonly available genera include:

Archocentrus (eg: A. nigrofasciatus - Convict cichlid), Amphilophus (eg: A. citrinellum - Red Devil), Copora (eg: C. nicaraguense - Parrot cichlid), Herichthys (eg: H. carpinitis - Blue Texas Cichlid), Nandopsis (eg: N. octofasciatus - Jack Dempsey), Neetroplus (eg: N. nematopus), Parapetenia (eg: P. managuense - Jaguar Cichlid), Thorichthys (eg: T. meeki - Firemouth Cichlid), Vieja (eg: V. synspilus - Synspilum or Quetzal).

Common genera in summary

Genera	Size	Aggression	Sex Ratio	Breeding method	Diet
Archocentrus	Small/Medium	less aggressive to aggressive	1:1	Switch (Open/Cave) spawn	Omnivore
Amphilophus	Medium/Large	very aggressive	1:1	Open spawn	Omnivore
Copora	Medium	Less aggressive	1:1	Open (pit) spawn	Supplement with plant material
Herichthys	Medium/Large	aggressive	1:1	Open spawn	Omnivore
Nandopsis	Medium/Large	aggressive to very aggressive	1:1	Open spawn	Omnivore
Neetroplus	Small/Medium	aggressive to very aggressive	1:1	Cave spawn	Supplement with plant material
Parapetenia/ Parachromis	Large/Very Large	aggressive to very aggressive	1:1	Open spawn	Omnivore
Thorichthys	Small/ Medium	less aggressive	1:1	Open spawn	Omnivore
Vieja	Large	less aggressive to aggressive	1:1	Open spawn	Supplement with plant material

 

These fish thrive in neutral to slightly alkaline water which can range in pH from around 7.0 to7.5. When keeping the larger central cichlids one must consider a few factors, a tank size of 200L tank is enough to house only two (a pair) of the larger species such as Vieja synspilus or Parapetenia managuense. In cramped quarters such as these aggression is often heightened and the aquarist should have a divider on hand should the female need to be separated.

For mixed large central American communities a tank size of 700L must be considered the minimum. Smaller central American cichlids such as Thorichthys or Neetroplus spp. may be housed in smaller tanks down to a minimum of 80L.

Secondly a large effective power filter is essential when keeping these fish as they eat a lot and create large amounts of waste. Just a quick note on filtration it is useful, particularly with larger cichlids, to practice “More’s law”. It is impossible to have water that is over filtered so get more filtration than needed when buying a filter. As far as filters are concerned I would consider buying one of the large Eheim “professional” filters 2224, 2226, 2228 or the round barrel Eheim 2260. This is definitely the premium option and there is no reason that a smaller canister filter and several large hang-on filters (Aquaclear 500 is an excellent choice) would not also do the job, it is more a question of convenience.

Thirdly and finally, when buying south and central American cichlids consider their adult size before buying. Make a list of the most appropriately sized cichlids (based on their adult size) for your fish tank - Do not buy anything 3″ smaller than your largest cichlid, otherwise your prized new addition could become a meal.

Large American Cichlid Companion Fish

For the larger cichlids both tinfoil barbs and silver dollars grow to a suitable size. With the more aggressive central American cichlids many perches and grunters (particularly Australian native fish such as the coal grunter, spangled grunter and banded grunter… all do quite well) For scavengers plecostomus catfish are excellent as their armor protects them from the attentions of a territorial cichlid. Other catfish include two Australian native species firstly Tandanus tandanus, the dewfish and the smaller ( 8″) eel tailed catfishes both do well, however as with any catfishes in such a tank, ample cover is necessary to hide them from the prowling cichlids attention.

Plants For Large American Cichlids

It is difficult to keep plants with these larger cichlids - some of the tougher plants are worth a go. In particular Java fern (Microsorium pteropus) or Anubias sp. are effective but be sure to weight the plants down with larger pebbles to prevent the cichlids dislodging them. Personally I dislike plastic plants but they can look effective if mixed with real plants. I would use a lot of rockwork and some large pieces of wood - avoid plants and the hassles associated with them in large central American cichlid communities.

Very Large South American Cichlids

Commonly available genera include:

Aequidens (eg: A. pulcher - Blue Acara), Astronotus (eg: A. ocellatus - Oscar), Cichla (eg: C. monoculus), Cichlasoma (eg: C. portalegrense - Port Acara), Geophagus (eg: G. surinamensis), Guianacara (eg: G. geayi - Bandit Cichlid) Gymnogeophagus (eg: G. balzanii), Heros (eg: H. severus - Severum), Hypselacara (eg: H. temporalis - Chocolate cichlid), Mesonauta (eg: M. festivus - flag acara), Pterophyllum (eg: P. scalare - Angelfish) Satanoperca (eg: S. jurupari), Symhysodon (eg: S. discus - Discus) Uaru (eg: U. amphiacanthoides - Uaru)

Common genera in summary

Genera	Size	Aggression	Sex Ratio (M:F)	Breeding method	Diet
Aequidens	Small to Large	less aggressive to aggressive	1:1	Open spawner	Omnivore
Astronotus	Large	aggressive	1:1	Open spawner	Omnivore Opportunistic piscivore
Cichla	Very Large	less aggressive to aggressive	1:1	Open spawner	Specialised predator
Cichlasoma	Medium	less aggressive	1:1	Open spawner	Omnivore
Geophagus	Medium to Large	unaggressive to less aggressive	Species specific	Species specific	Omnivore Substrate sifter
Guianacara	Small to Medium	unaggressive to less aggressive	1:1	Open spawner	Omnivore
Gymnogeophagus	Medium to Large	unaggressive to less aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore Substrate sifter
Heros	Medium to Large	less aggressive to aggressive	1:1	Open spawner	Supplement with plant material
Hypselacara	Medium to Large	unaggressive to less aggressive	1:1	Open spawner	Supplement with plant material
Mesonauta	Small to Medium	unaggressive to less aggressive	1:1	Open spawner	Supplement with plant material
Pteryophyllum	Small to Medium	unaggressive	1:1	Leaf spawner	Omnivore Micropredator
Symhysodon	Small to Medium	shy to unaggressive	1:1	Leaf spawner	Omnivore Micropredator

 

With perhaps the exception of the cichlids of Lake Tanganjika, South American (SA) cichlids in general show the most varied patterns of reproduction along with the most highly developed brood care. Brood care appears to be most highly developed in monogamous cichlids, whether they be mouthbrooders or substrate spawners. The majority of larger SA species are monogamous open sp although some Geophagines and Heros species are polygamous mouthbrooders. The genus Apistogramma contains a huge number of species most of which are polygamous breeders. Apistogramma species are included in the dwarf cichlid section of this document. In general SA cichlids tend to be more peaceful than their Central American cousins although some of the SA species (eg: Oscars) have a reputation for aggression. This aggression in SA cichlids is mostly due to limited tank size and when housed in large enough quarters most species are quite passive.

For the novice aquarist SA cichlids are perhaps the most difficult cichlids to keep correctly as they are an extremly variable group. Some genera, such as Pteryophyllum, Symhysodon and Mesonauta are particularly placid even shy and should all be kept in tall tanks with sufficient vegetation to provide cover for these fishes, tall plants, in particular Vallisneria, are favoured by these peaceful cichlids. In contrast to the peaceful nature of angel and discus-fish the larger Aequidens species1, along with Astronotus species can be more aggressive and should not be kept in limited tank space or with any fish small enough to be considered a food item. Severums are less aggressive than oscars although far too aggressive to be kept with angelfish. They are best housed with more robust geophagines such as G. brasiliensis, chocolate cichlids (Hypselacara) or the medium sized “acaras” such as “Aequidens“ puchler, Krobia itanyi or Cichlasoma portalgrense.

Summary of South American Cichlids & Suitable Companion Fish & Plants

Species Companion Fish Plants Angelfish, discus or Mesonauta Larger rasporas, tetras & corydoras catfish All plant species are useful, particularly tall species. Geophagines, “Acaras”, Severums, Chocolate Cichlids (Hypselacara) Larger barbs (Spanner/Clown), botias & locariid catfish Hardy plant species such as Java fern and Anubias, although severums and chocolate cichlids will place significant demands on the toughness of plant species used. Oscars or larger acaras (“A”. rivulatus) Larger barbs, botias & larger locariid catfish Only very hardy plant species useful, fish will uproot plants and plastic plants may provide a solution.

Lake Victoria and Lake Malawi Cichlids

Commonly available genera include:

Astatotilapia (eg: A. nyrerei - Flameback), Aulonocara (eg: A. jacobfreibergi), Chilotilapia (eg: C. rhoadesi), Copadichromis (eg. C. quadrimaculatus), Cyrtocara (eg: C. moori - Malawi Dolphin), Dimidochromis (eg: D. compressiceps - Malawi Eye-biter), Fossochromis (eg: F. rostratus), Labeotropheus (eg: L. fuelleborni), Labidochromis (eg: L. caeruleus - Electric Yellow), Maylandia (eg: M. lombardoi), Melanochromis (eg: M. johanni), Nimbochromis (eg: N. venustus), Otopharnx (eg O. lithobates), Placidochromis (eg: P. electra), Protomelas (P. taeniolatus - Red Empress), Sciaenochromis (eg: S. ahli - Electric blue), Tyrannochromis (eg: T. macrostoma).

Common genera in summary

Genera	Size	Aggression	Sex Ratio (M:F)	Breeding method	Diet
Astatotilapia	Medium	aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Aulonocara	Medium	less aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Chilotilapia	Medium	less aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Snail feeder Omnivore
Copadichromis	Medium to Large	less aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Cyrtocara	Medium to Large	less aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Dimidichromis	Medium to Large	less aggressive to aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Fossochromis	Large	less aggressive to aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Labeotropheus	Small to  Medium	aggressive to very aggressive	1:4	Maternal mouthbrooder	Algal grazer
Labidochromis	Small to Medium	less aggressive to aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Algal grazer
Maylandia	Small to Medium	aggressive to very aggressive	1:4	Maternal mouthbrooder	Algal grazer
Nimbochromis	Large	aggressive to very aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Ambush predator Omnivore
Otopharnx	Medium	less aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Placidochromis	Medium to Large	less aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Snail feeder Omnivore
Protomelas	Medium to Large	less aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Sciaenochromis	Medium to Large	less aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Tyrannochromis	Large	aggressive to very aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Ambush predator Omnivore

 

Among the most spectacular of the East African cichlids, cichlids from Lake Malawi and Lake Victoria come in predominantly blue and yellow. They require a tank with a high pH 7.5-8.5 and high total hardness of around 10-17 dH. Barnacle shells, shell grit or crushed coral acts as a buffer to keep the pH and dH where it should be.

The view from Likoma Island, looking towards Chizumulu over lake Malawi. Credits and terms of use.

Two groups of Lake Malawi cichlids have been artificially erected by many for purposes of aquarium keeping… the first group include the genera Pseudotropheus, Melanochromis, Labidohromis and Labeochromis…This group is often referred to as mbuna. Mbuna in the native tongue of the Malawi people literally means ‘rockfish’ and refers to the fact that these fish inhabit the rocky zone of the lake close to the shore. With space at a premium these fishes tend to be VERY aggressive and are best kept with other species from this group. Lake Victoria cichlids such as Astatotilipia sp. may be kept with the ultra-aggressive fishes from the the aforementioned mbuna.

The second group of fishes include the less aggressive Aulonocara genera and other fish from related genera, these species live on the sandy zone, deeper in the lake, only returning to the fringes of the rocky zone for breeding. With less space restrictions the aggression between these species is far less. Aulonocara males have brilliant blues/yellows and oranges and are possibly the brightest of any freshwater fish.

Nimbochromines and the species in the genus Tyrannochromis are specialised ambush predators and as such should not be housed with smaller mbuna unless the small fish has many refuges in which to hide.

Malawi cichlids are all quite closely related and interbreeding is common in community tanks. For breeding purposes all Lake Malawi/Victoria/Tanganjikan fishes should be kept in individual species tanks. If your cichlids do hybridise do not sell on the young.

A similar rule applies to keeping the Lake Malawi as to keeping the central and south American cousins. Buy the fish based on their adult size. Do not buy fishes that are much smaller than your largest fish, or chances are, that fish will make the next meal. The armored Locaridaceae catfishes make efficient scavengers as well as the larger members of the Synodontis group. Botias, if they are large, cope well with the water chemistry and the aggression of the cichlids.

To reduce aggression in these fishes there are two basic approaches:

Use of dither fishes:

A school of 6-10 Australian rainbow fish make excellent dither/target fish in an East African aquarium. Rainbow fishes enjoy the same hard alkaline water as the east African cichlids and the fact that they are fast swimmers helps them to get out of a pinch when they are being chased. They also occupy the upper half of the aquarium which adds greatly to the aesthetic value of dither fish. Dither fish seem to distract cichlids from each other and can reduce injuries on other cichlids significantly.
 

Controlled Overcrowding:

Overcrowding is a extremely effective method of aggression reducing in African cichlids, particularly mbuna. Overcrowding works by not allowing individual fish to establish large territories and therefore becoming hyper dominant. It also spreads the aggression from a dominant individual out amongst a larger number of fish.

Plants For Lake Victoria & Lake Cichlids

It is almost impossible to keep plants with these cichlids, particularly the algal grazing mbuna. Tough plants such as java fern and Anubias species may be of some use with Aulonocara and other less vegetarian species.

Lake Taganyika Cichlids

Commonly available genera include:

Altolamprologus (eg: A. calvus), Benthochromis (eg: B. tricoti), Eretmodus (eg: E. cyanostictus) Julidochromis (eg: J. regani), Chalinochromis (eg: C. brichardi), Cyathopharnx (eg: C. furcifer), Cyphotilapia (eg: C. frontosa), Cyprichromis (eg: C. leptosoma), Ectodus (eg: E. descampsii), Lepidolamprologus (eg: L. attenuatus), Neolamprologus (eg: N. ocellatus), Opthalmotilapia (eg: O. boops), Paracyprichromis (eg: P. nigripinnis), Spathodus (eg: S. erythrodon), Tanganicodus (eg T. irsacae), Tropheus (eg: T. moorii), Xenotilapia (eg: X. ochrogenys).

Common genera in summary

Genera	Size	Aggression	Sex Ratio (M:F)	Breeding method	Diet
Altolamprologus	Small to Medium	less aggressive	1:1	Cave/Shell Spawner	Micropredator
Eretmodus	Dwarf to Small	unaggressive	1:1	Biparental mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Julidochromis	Small to Medium	unaggressive to less aggressive	1:1	Cave spawner	Omnivore Micropredator
Cyathopharnx	Medium to Large	unaggressive to less aggressive	2:5	Pit spawner	Omnivore Supplement with vegetable material
Cyphotilapia	Large	less aggressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore Opportunistic piscivore
Cyprichromis	Small ro Medium	unaggressive	2:5	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Ectodus	Small to Medium	unaggressive	?	?	Maternal mouthbrooder
Leipidolamprologus	Medium to Large	aggressive to very aggressive	1:1	Cave spawner	Specialised predator
Neolamprologus	Dwarf to Medium	less aggressive to very aggressive	Species specific	Species specific	Micropredator Omnivore.
Opthalmotilapia	Small to Medium	unagressive	1:3	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Paracyprichromis	Small to Medium	shy to unaggressive	2:5	Maternal mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Spathodus	Dwarf to Small	shy to unaggressive	1:1	Biparental mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Tangicodus	Dwarf to Small	shy to unaggressive	1:1	Biparental mouthbrooder	Omnivore
Tropheus	Medium	aggressive to very aggressive	Species specific	Maternal mouthbrooder	Algal Grazer
Xenotilapia	Small to Medium	less aggressive	1:1	Biparental mouthbrooder	Omnivore

 

Although Tanganyikan cichlids are similar to the cichlids of Lake Malawi, they differ as follows. Lake Tanganyikan cichlids require higher pH water from 8.0 to 9.5 with higher hardness requirements. They are also, normally, more expensive to the aquarist than the mbuna or Aulonocara sp. of Lake Malawi. Since most of these fishes are quite “pricey” it follows that many are more difficult to keep healthy or breed more slowly. For these reasons it is recommended that they be kept separately to Lake Malawi cichlids. Body form also tends to differ more in Lake Tanganyikan cichlids than in the fishes of Lake Malawi.

Personally I have seen tanks that mix full size frontosa (around 30cm) with breeding colonies of Neolamprogus brichardi and the tiny shell dwelling Neolamprologus multifasciatus (round 3cms), this should only be done however in a very large aquarium with ample hiding spaces for the smaller fishes. The results in these tanks are spectacular, like a slice of life in Lake Tanganjika.

Dither fish work with the Lake Tanganyikan cichlids as described above for the other African lake cichlids.

Lake Tanganyikan cichlids are relatively tolerant of plants with the exception of the algal grazing species such as Tropheus spp. Many plants however do not tolerate the hard, alkaline water well. Best choices are Anubias spp. Java fern and Java Moss.

Summary of Neolamprologine breeding patterns

Group Member species Family structure Breeding method Type I: Cave Spawners eg: N. caudopunctatus, N. lelupi, N. mustax Monogamous Cave spawn Type II: Step breeders (Cave Spawning) eg:N. brichardi complex Monogamous Step breeders Type III: Shell dwellers eg:N. brevis, N. multifasciatus, N. ocellatus, N. speciosis Polygamous 1:3 Shell spawn

Larger West African Cichlids

Commonly availble species include

Hemichromis (eg: H. guttatus), Steatocranus (eg:S. casuarius), Tilapia (eg: T. buttikoferi)

Common genera in summary:

Genera	Size	Aggression	Sex Ratio (M:F)	Breeding method	Diet
Hemichromis	Small to Medium	aggressive to very aggressive	1:1	Substrate spawner	Omnivore Micropredator
Steatocranus	Small to Medium	unaggressive to less aggressive	1:1	Cave spawner	Omnivore Micropredator
Tilapia	Smallto Large	unaggressive to very aggressive	Species specific	Species specific	Species specific Mainly omnivores

 

Only a small range of West African cichlids are available to the cichlid keeping hobby, particularly in Australia where the import of most West African cichlids is prohibited. These fishes thrive in moderately soft water which is neutral to slightly acidic in pH. Commonly available West African Dwarf cichlids such as Nanochromis sp. Anomalochromis thomasi and Pelvicachromis sp. will be discussed in Dwarf cichlids from South America and West Africa. The Hemichromines and Tilapia sp. require larger tanks and more resilient companion fish than the aforementioned West African dwarf cichlids. Fishes such as the lionhead (Steatocranus casuarius) require very high levels of oxygen as they come from the rapids of Zaire rivers, be sure to include a power head in tanks with Steatocranus sp. There are at least six species of Hemichomines available in Australia.