Quick summary The Blue Acara is an excellent choice for beginner cichlid keepers, thanks to its tolerance for a wide range of water conditions, easy diet, and relatively peaceful temperament compared to other cichlids. Just make sure you can provide at least a 150 litre tank, as this is a fairly large, active fish that…
Quick summary The Green Terror is a striking but territorial cichlid best suited to aquarists with some experience, requiring at least 280 litres of space and careful tank mate selection to manage its moderate aggression. If you can provide a large, well-filtered tank and don’t mind a fish that digs, rearranges decor, and needs robust…
Quick summary The Jack Dempsey Cichlid suits moderately experienced aquarists who can provide a large tank of 200 litres or more, stable warm water, and carefully chosen robust tank mates, as this intelligent but territorial fish can become aggressive, especially when breeding. It is not a good fit for small community tanks with peaceful or…
Quick summary The Firemouth Cichlid is an easy to care for, hardy Central American cichlid that suits beginners wanting to try their first cichlid, provided you can offer at least 200 litres and don’t mind its territorial, semi-aggressive nature. Its bark is worse than its bite, colourful, manageable in size, and straightforward to breed, making…
Quick summary Oscars are intelligent, interactive fish with real personality, but they grow fast to 30-40 cm and need at least a 450 litre tank, strong filtration, and heavy weekly water changes to handle their large waste output. They’re best suited to committed keepers with the space and budget for a large, long term setup,…
Quick summary The Acei Cichlid is a hardy, relatively peaceful Mbuna that’s great for beginners entering the African cichlid hobby, as long as you can provide hard, alkaline water and at least a 250 litre tank for a group of six or more. Just be sure to feed a mostly plant-based diet, since high-protein foods…
Quick summary The Demasoni Cichlid is a stunning but highly aggressive dwarf mbuna best suited to experienced aquarists who can provide a large tank of 300 litres or more and keep a group of 12-20 fish to spread out its aggression. It’s not a good fit for beginners, small setups, or anyone unwilling to feed…
Quick summary The Red Zebra Cichlid is a good fit for intermediate fishkeepers who can provide a large, well-filtered tank with hard, alkaline water and plenty of rocky hiding spots to manage its territorial nature. It’s hardy, breeds easily, and isn’t overly fussy about diet, but its aggression means careful stocking (one male to several…
Quick summary The Rusty Cichlid is a hardy, easy-to-breed mbuna with a relatively peaceful temperament, making it one of the best entry points for beginners to African Rift Lake cichlids. It still needs hard, alkaline water, a rock-filled tank of at least 150 litres, and a small group with more females than males to thrive….
Quick summary The OB Peacock Cichlid is a colourful, moderately hardy hybrid best suited to intermediate keepers who can provide a 230+ litre tank with hard, alkaline water matching Lake Malawi conditions. It’s a good choice if you want bold, varied colour with less aggression than typical mbuna, but it still needs careful tank mate…