American Cichlid Tankmates – Finding the Right Tankmates for Cichlids

Posted by Carey Malloy

Choosing South American Cichlid tank mates is not difficult at all. There are a few things that you need to consider before you make any quick decisions while at your favorite pet store.

The very first thing that you need to think about is the size of your cichlids. You should not pick tankmates that could easily fit in the mouth of your favorite cichlid. That little rule may not work every time, but it is a good start.

Next, don’t pick a tankmate that has the potential to be more aggressive than the dominant species in your cichlid tank. Take this for example. Angel fish and Oscar fish will make great tankmates when they are small. But as they start to get bigger, the Oscars will beat up the docile Angels.

Now that I have made a few obvious points about choosing South American Cichlid tank mates, let’s get to the point. When I think of South American Cichlid tank mates, I think of catfish. But more specifically I think of the gentle Corydoras. These are absolutely some of my favorite aquarium fish and they make excellent tank buddies for many varieties of Cichlids.

If you decide on choosing corys, it is best to think about the size of your cichlids. If you have a tankful of Oscars, choosing the smaller varieties of corys will be a disaster. The Oscars will consider them as a snack and gobble them up like M&M’s. Choosing one of the larger ones like the green corydoras.

They will mature at about three inches long and make good tank mates for even the larger varieties of South American Cichlids, when the catfish are fully mature of course.

But consider this fact when choosing tankmates for cichlids, sometimes Oscars don’t play by the rules. It is best to raise Oscars with corys as tankmates so they get used to having them swim about the bottom of the tank. And make sure that you keep at least five or six corys at a time. They are much happier when they have a few buddies.

See this article for more information about cichlid tank mates. Visit cichlid care to learn how to keep cichlids healthy, colorful and happy.