# Rainbow cichlid tank mates



## pdash (Aug 18, 2008)

All, I'm beginner with cichlids and friends suggested that I start off with rainbow cichlids. What size and shape tank do I need and what tank mates including other cichlids would be ideal?

Thanks,
Paul


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Rainbow cichlids are wonderful. I'm quite a big fan. A mated pair can be housed in a 30 gallon long with a few other tank mates. If you have a 48" long tank, you can do two pairs.

I have a 36" long 58 gallon planted tank with one mature pair and six babies of various ages (from two different broods that I raised in a separate tank and then returned). For now this is working. As the oldest of the babies mature, I expect that I'll have to remove them.

A rainbow cichlid pair will claim a section of territory in the tank and guard it even when not raising fry. They are not particularly viscious and I've had no injuries, but they are pretty insistent. I have a defined their section with plants in the middle foreground to separate them from the rest of the tank. They also have a nice piece of driftwood to hide under/behind and several flat river rocks on which to spawn. however, this does diminish how much space is left for the rest of the tank.

With them I have cories, BN plecos and tetras. The rainbows are not a danger to any of these, but some of these, especially the cories and plecos, will eat fry. If you have other questions feel free to ask!


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Sorry, I didn't address your question about other cichlids -- you can house rainbows with other mild SA or CA cichlids IF (and it's a big IF) you have a large enough tank. I'd highly recommend, however, that you consider a tank centered around rainbows. They are beautiful, easy to care for and interesting (and this is coming from someone who has also kept apistos, curviceps, angels, blue and Bolivian rams and who also keeps Africans)


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## pdash (Aug 18, 2008)

hollyfish2000 said:


> Rainbow cichlids are wonderful. I'm quite a big fan. A mated pair can be housed in a 30 gallon long with a few other tank mates. If you have a 48" long tank, you can do two pairs.
> 
> Does it make a difference if I have a long tank vs cylinder style tank?


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Yes, a cylinder or cube tank is, basically, just not a very useful shape for anything except angels. Rainbow ciclids really need the footprint of a longer tank.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I find angelfish make decent tank mates for Rainbow cichlids. The real problem with them is finding something meek enough not to bully them. I found severum to be too rough at feeding. A lot of the "community" fish will fit if you want to go outside the cichlid family. Very mild and meek to the point of being shy until they get settled in well.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

If it were a smallish cylinder type tank like a 30 gallon tall, I would only do angels, not angels and rainbows myself.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I would also like the idea of a set of nice angelfish. I had not taken a look at angelfish for a very long time and found there are some really stunning colors available. Sometimes in the rush to do the "in" thing, we overlook some of the really nice old things. Anybody who has never taken the time to do some angelfish might be surprised by how they grab you. For pleasant attitude and yet interesting behavior, I think they are hard to beat. There are few better ways to get some experience with cichlids. Once you master a few of the basics, then you might want to look further but for me I'm just going back to raising a few.


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

As Holly said, get at least a 3 foot 30 long. A 4 foot 55 or 75g is better yet.

55's are pretty popular and fairly inexpensive on Craigslist or garage sales.

Once you get the tank you can decide what to stock in it.

Rainbows are a great stater cichlid.

...Bill


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

Although not ideal, you could do Rainbows in a tall "cylinder" tank---if you chose tankmates carefully. For example, 1 pair of Rainbow cichlids with a top swimming species such as Hatchetfish or African Butterfly fish. Plus a single bristlenose.

But again, that's not the ideal setup for them.


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## Don Maserati (3 mo ago)

hollyfish2000 said:


> Sorry, I didn't address your question about other cichlids -- you can house rainbows with other mild SA or CA cichlids IF (and it's a big IF) you have a large enough tank. I'd highly recommend, however, that you consider a tank centered around rainbows. They are beautiful, easy to care for and interesting (and this is coming from someone who has also kept apistos, curviceps, angels, blue and Bolivian rams and who also keeps Africans)


I have a 6 feet tank with Oscar’s up to 6” and also Malawi cichlids 7” ans kept 3 pairs of rainbows with them also have parrot fish , geophagus and many American and African cichlids mixed up ans so far it’s good .


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

You have a ticking time bomb on your hands. It's working so far only because the Cichlids are small in size (a six inch long Oscar is still a baby). You don't say exactly what the species are of all those Cichlids you are keeping. But, when you have bullies emerge in a tank set up like that, be ready to intervene and pull out any Cichlds on a killing 'rampage', before the attacks get too violent on everyone else in there.
Plus, in a heavily stocked tank (even in one as big as your six foot long aquarium) it will become harder and more difficult to maintain good water quality. This is best checked with a Nitrate test kit. Anything beyond 40 PPM in measured Nitrate level is getting too high. To dilute those Nitrates out (and a lot of other nasty things that can build up in the water of an aquarium) conducting more frequent and higher percentage water changes will be the only thing preventing your fish from getting stressed and sick with all sorts of things you really don't want to deal with (Your Oscar esp. will be sensitive to developing HITH/HLLE in a heavily stocked aquarium).


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## Don Maserati (3 mo ago)

Auballagh said:


> You have a ticking time bomb on your hands. It's working so far only because the Cichlids are small in size (a six in long Oscar is still a baby). You don't say exactly what the species are of all those Cichlids you are keeping. But, when you have bullies emerge in a tank set up like that, be ready to intervene and pull out any Cichlds on a killing 'rampage', before the attacks get too violent on everyone else in there.
> Plus, in a heavily stocked tank (even in one as big as your six foot long aquarium) it will become harder and more difficult to maintain good water quality. This is best checked with a Nitrate test kit. Anything beyond 40 PPM in measured Nitrate level is getting too high. To dilute those Nitrates out (and a lot of other nasty things that can build up in the water of an aquarium) conducting more frequent and higher percentage water changes will be the only thing preventing your fish from getting stressed and sick with all sorts of things you really don't want to deal with (Your Oscar esp. will be sensitive to developing HITH/HLLE in a heavily stocked aquarium).


To be honest I started off 4 months ago and very new in that as started off with mollies and guppies then shirted to these cichlid . I have already separated the blue dolphins, frontosa and acara sin a 4 feet tank as they are still 3”.
Oscar’s are hard to keep so will move them to separate tank just Oscar’s . Rest are Malawi and American cichlids like rainbows, parrot, yellow labs geophagus , loaches and some angels so they will be at peace once the giants are out. Thanks a lot for your kind reply.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would provide a separate 72" tank for the Lake Malawi (dolphins and yellow labs) and for the Lake Tanganyika (frontosa). I would not wait until the fish grow larger...especially those that are already 7 inches. Better to stock the juveniles in a tank that is the right size for them when they are fully grown.

I would not keep the geophagus or angels with either of these, but IDK what is needed for them and the rainbows, parrots, angels and loaches.


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

Auballagh said:


> You have a ticking time bomb on your hands. It's working so far only because the Cichlids are small in size (a six in long Oscar is still a baby). You don't say exactly what the species are of all those Cichlids you are keeping. But, when you have bullies emerge in a tank set up like that, be ready to intervene and pull out any Cichlds on a killing 'rampage', before the attacks get too violent on everyone else in there.
> Plus, in a heavily stocked tank (even in one as big as your six foot long aquarium) it will become harder and more difficult to maintain good water quality. This is best checked with a Nitrate test kit. Anything beyond 40 PPM in measured Nitrate level is getting too high. To dilute those Nitrates out (and a lot of other nasty things that can build up in the water of an aquarium) conducting more frequent and higher percentage water changes will be the only thing preventing your fish from getting stressed and sick with all sorts of things you really don't want to deal with (Your Oscar esp. will be sensitive to developing HITH/HLLE in a heavily stocked aquarium).





DJRansome said:


> I would provide a separate 72" tank for the Lake Malawi (dolphins and yellow labs) and for the Lake Tanganyika (frontosa). I would not wait until the fish grow larger...especially those that are already 7 inches. Better to stock the juveniles in a tank that is the right size for them when they are fully grown.
> 
> I would not keep the geophagus or angels with either of these, but IDK what is needed for them and the rainbows, parrots, angels and loaches.


Right and right again. This is a recipe for disaster. 😖


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## joehandersson (2 mo ago)

I would not wait until the fish grow larger...especially those that are already 7 inches. Better to stock the juveniles in a tank that is the right size for them when they are fully grown.


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## dstuer (Mar 27, 2013)

Geographically correct tank mates would mollies, gambusia or Astyanax tetras.
Any other cichlids would be too much.


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