Cichlids Tankmates – Choosing Tankmates for Cichlids

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.

Considering how big your cichlids will be is the first thing that you should think about. Never pick tankmates for your cichlids that look like they are small enough to fit in your fishes mouth. Maybe that will not always work, but you get the idea.

Secondly, don’t choose a species that potentially could be more aggressive than your favorite species of cichlid. For example, Oscars and Angel Fish will generally do just fine together when they are juveniles. But when those Oscars start to get big, those poor Angels won’t stand a chance.

Those are a couple of points about choosing tankmates for your cichlids, but I am sure you already knew about those simple details. Now lets ask the real question. What are the best tankmates for cichlids? Have you ever thought about catfish or the fantastic little corydoras. Corydoras are simply some of my favorite tropical aquarium fish and they make great tankmates for many types 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.

These larger cichlids will reach full adult size at about three inches long so they will make great tankmates for the larger varieties of cichlids.

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.