Should I buy it?
African Cichlid
Various (Mbuna, Peacock, Haplochromis)
Typical trade / ID note: Mixed Malawi cichlids (group classification)
Also known as: mbuna, malawi cichlid, African cichlids (group), Mbuna / peacock mix (loose)
Fishori provides conservative planning guidance, not guarantees.
Based on typical aquarium care sources; trade names can be ambiguous, so details may vary between setups. Use the numbers here as planning defaults — your room, water, and routine still shape real-world outcomes.
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.
Best for
Species-specific African cichlid setups 200L or more with heavy rockwork and deliberate overstocking to dilute aggression.
Avoid if
You want a community tank, have soft acidic water, or haven't researched the specific rift lake species you're buying.
Top things that go wrong
- Mouth gap vs tiny tank mates. Predation risk toward smaller tank mates. The figure that matters is the adult mouth size against the adult prey length, not the juvenile sizes in the shop.
- Shrimp & snails. Shrimp: not safe. The fish will eat adult shrimp, shrimp fry, or both, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Common mistakeFive males in a 200L tank. Too small to dilute aggression and too many for one dominant fish to stabilise the group.
Common trade-name warning
This is a group placeholder, not a single species. "African cichlid" bundles Malawi, Tanganyika, and other rift lineages with different water chemistry and aggression. Always research the exact fish you are buying, not this umbrella card alone.
What most shops don't tell you
- 1.Predation risk scales with gape, night feeding, and crowding. 'they grew up together' is a schedule, not a law.
- 2.Buying for juvenile size in the shop tank. Budget for adult length and turning radius, not the inch-long fish in the bag.
- 3.Adding bite-sized tetras or livebearers "until the predator grows". The first lost fish lands months earlier than the plan said.
- 4.Needs hard alkaline water. Not compatible with soft-water fish. Territorial enough that mbuna keepers overstock slightly to spread aggression. A dedicated African cichlid tank is the best approach.
- 5.Rift Lake cichlids need hard alkaline water — incompatible with soft-water Amazon fish.
About this species
African cichlids from Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika are colourful, active rift-lake fish that need hard alkaline water (pH 7.8 to 9) and are best kept in species-specific setups.
- Convict cichlid200L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Discus200L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Firemouth Cichlid200L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Jack Dempsey200L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Keyhole cichlid200L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Rainbow cichlid200L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Angelfish150L min · same fish family
- Electric Blue Acara150L min · same group, similar adult size
- Green Terroralso intermediate aggressive, similar tank size
- Jack Dempseyalso intermediate aggressive, similar tank size
- Oscaralso intermediate aggressive, similar tank size
- Cuckoo / petricola catfish tank mateslists this fish as a safe and recommended mate
Plan grid
Key limits are shown above; this section adds planning detail: pH band, swim level, bioload and activity, and the radar.
Swim zones
Planning trait chart
Six indices for comparing species on paper before you spend.
- Beginner ease26
- Peacefulness0
- Community fit0
- Small-tank fit90
- Hardiness54
- Energy54
Numbers are deterministic planning indices from Fishori fields — not a scientific score of your individual fish.
Common setup sketches
Conservative patterns from Fishori fields — still run the pair checker for every species you add; sketches are not a stocking guarantee.
Avoid “one of everything” baskets — African Cichlid belongs in a plan built around territory, line-of-sight breaks, and matched water chemistry.
Tank mate intelligence
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.
Pair-level compatibility with this fish as anchor.
Read the blocking rule on each pair page before experimenting.
Do-not-stock combinations on conservative hobby rules.
Compare with
Run a real pair check: African Cichlid + Molly
- Try Molly — open the pair check.
- Try Sailfin Molly — open the pair check.
Behaviour, temperament, and what to watch
Prose and lists come from the same record: read temperament first, then glass-level signals so you are not surprised after day three.
African Cichlid is aggressive in mixed company. Treats any fish small enough to fit in its mouth as food. Mouth size at adult length matters, not the prey's listed adult size. Holds territory on substrate, in caves, or at the surface film. Break the sight lines with hardscape to keep the resident off the visitor.
Stress / aggression triggers on file
- Crowding and limited territory
- Similar-looking fish in the same tank
- Spawning, for any breeding pair
Fin nipping: Not a habitual fin-nipper, but individuals can still test fins under stress or in a crowded tank.
Predation: Predation risk toward smaller tank mates. The figure that matters is the adult mouth size against the adult prey length, not the juvenile sizes in the shop.
Territory: Holds territory on substrate, in caves, or at the surface film. Break the line of sight with hardscape, and avoid placing the tank where the fish can see its own reflection.
Planted tanks: good — easy plant ideas
In the glass: typical and warning signs
- Moderate pacing — not hyperactive, not motionless.
- Clamped fins, gasping at the surface, hiding non-stop, or refusing food after the first week.
- Rapid breathing when parameters swing — fix ammonia/nitrite first, then reassess mates.
- Chasing one individual repeatedly, torn fins on tank mates, or food theft every feed.
- Corner guarding, flaring, or body-blocking — territory is normal until it becomes relentless.
- Separate or rehome if injuries appear, one fish is pinned, or feeding becomes a daily chase.
- If water is stable but behaviour worsens, reduce stocking or remove the highest-impact species first.
Fish behaviour can vary between individuals and tank setups. Always observe new fish closely after introduction.
Care parameters: water, food, inverts, grouping
Chemistry and group rules sit here so you are not re-reading the same line from tank mate or temperament blocks. Swim level is in the plan grid above.
Hardness
hard
Diet
omnivore
Mixed diet: a quality flake or pellet as the staple, with frozen or live foods two or three times a week.
Shrimp & snails
Shrimp: not safe. The fish will eat adult shrimp, shrimp fry, or both, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Kept in pairs or small groups of 6 or more. Buy them at the same time rather than adding one fish at a time.
Breeding behaviour depends on the species. Research before you buy a mixed-sex group of this fish.
- Hold 24 to 28 °C steadily on a real thermometer, not the dial on the heater.
- Aim for pH 7.8 to 9 and a hardness you can re-test in two weeks. A one-time strip in the shop car park is not a water test.
- Footprint: short wide tanks and tall narrow tanks fish differently for the same volume. Match the tank shape to the swim pattern, not just the litre count.
- Tank volume meets or exceeds 200L published minimum for adults.
- You can stock at least 6 individuals (group welfare).
- Heater can hold 24–28°C without cooking cooler-water tank mates.
- No tank mates small enough to fit the adult mouth gap for this species.
Explore and stocking hubs
Same library as the rest of Fishori: tank-mate index for this species, category peers, guides, and litre-based stocking lists where min tank on file is within the hub volume.
Plan with tools
Pair-level rules and multi-fish stocking use the same conservative engine — add this fish in the tank builder only after mates pass pair checks.
Filtration & heating
A 200L minimum tank needs a filter rated for at least 800L/hr turnover and a heater to hold 24–28°C reliably.
Plant suggestions
African Cichlid does well in planted tanks. Plants compatible with 24–28°C and pH 7.8–9:
Profile status: partially verified · Evidence tier: medium · 2 linked source(s). Fishori does not fabricate citations.
Fishori uses conservative planning rules based on these sources.
Confidence is explained in the summary at the top of this page (same tier as here), not repeated below.
How Fishori evaluates compatibility (same logic as pair and tank tools).
- Practical Fishkeeping. The Mbuna keeper’s survival guide
Primary: editor-written Malawi mbuna system setup, stocking philosophy, and aggression; use when planning a rock-scape, hard/alkaline rift system.
- Practical Fishkeeping. What’s the best Lake Malawi cichlid for beginners?
Primary: beginner-oriented Malawi cichlid planning, species picks, and tank/rockwork expectations. This profile is still a group placeholder, not one binomial.
Evidence notes
- The scientificName is intentionally a group placeholder (mbuna, peacocks, haps, Tanga fish all differ). There is no one species sheet; Practical Fishkeeping Malawi feature articles are used as the best available aquarium-editorial primaries, but Tanganyika-only or peacock-only plans will still need extra species-specific research.
- All compatibility text reflects typical hobby experience and the Fishori model. Individual fish, shop stress, and the order tank mates are added in can still defy a single-paragraph label.
- Fishori profiles work from typical aquarium trade sizes and hobby care norms. Specialist site checks and literature review for this species are not yet recorded here, so the ranges on this page are planning numbers rather than guarantees.