Calvus Cichlid Tank Mates

Calvus Cichlid is semi-aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 5 freshwater species that pair well with a calvus cichlid — plus the 147 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

By The Aquarium DB Team • Updated June 7, 2026 • Full Calvus Cichlid care guide →
Best matches

The best tank mates for a calvus cichlid

  • Corydoras Catfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 6.5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Spotfin Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 6.5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Upside-down Catfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 10 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Marbled Hoplo ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 14 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Spotted Talking Catfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 15 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
With caution

Calvus Cichlid tank mates that can work with care

  • Adolf's Cory ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 5.8–7.2); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
  • Afra Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • African Butterfly Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
  • Agassiz's Corydoras ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
  • Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    pH preferences only just meet (Calvus Cichlid 7.8–9 vs Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid 5–7) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
  • Altifrons Geophagus ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    pH preferences only just meet (Calvus Cichlid 7.8–9 vs Altifrons Geophagus 5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
  • Amazon Puffer ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6.5–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
  • Angelfish ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.

+ 180 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with a calvus cichlid

  • Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Calvus Cichlid and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
  • Alligator Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Calvus Cichlid and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
  • Redtail Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Calvus Cichlid and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
  • Fire Eel ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Fire Eel (100 cm) is big enough to swallow the 14 cm Calvus Cichlid whole.
  • Clown Knifefish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Calvus Cichlid and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Koi ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 90 cm · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    Koi (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 14 cm Calvus Cichlid whole.
  • Spotted Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Calvus Cichlid and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
  • Wolf Cichlid ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Calvus Cichlid and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.

+ 139 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Interactive tool

Check any fish against a calvus cichlid

Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against a calvus cichlid, with the reasoning for each verdict.

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Calvus Cichlid?

We compare each fish against your calvus cichlid on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.

  • Corydoras Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6.5 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
    • Keep Corydoras Catfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Marbled Hoplo✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Spotfin Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6.5 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
    • Keep Spotfin Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Spotted Talking Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Upside-down Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Angelfish⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Banjo Catfish⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
  • Blue Flash Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Calvus Cichlid and Blue Flash Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~210 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Blue Gourami⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 13 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Clown Barb⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6–6.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~132 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Clown Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Denison Barb⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 18–25 °C (64–77 °F)
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Denison Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Dolphin Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6.5–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~208 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Firemouth Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 22–29 °C (72–84 °F)
    • Calvus Cichlid and Firemouth Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Giant Glass Catfish⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6.5–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
  • Gold Zebra Loach⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 25–29 °C (77–84 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6.5–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~130 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Green Phantom Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 5.5–7); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Moonlight Gourami⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Easy care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Calvus Cichlid 7.8–9 vs Moonlight Gourami 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
  • Rainbow Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~130 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Swordtail⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Yoyo Loach⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Calvus Cichlid 7.8–9 vs Yoyo Loach 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Calvus Cichlid and Yoyo Loach can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Calvus Cichlid and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
    • Calvus Cichlid is bite-sized to a 250 cm predatory alligator gar — it will be eaten.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Calvus Cichlid and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Calvus Cichlid is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory clown knifefish — it will be eaten.
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Fire Eel⛔ Not recommended
    Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Fire Eel (100 cm) is big enough to swallow the 14 cm Calvus Cichlid whole.
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–9 vs 6.5–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Koi⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    • Koi (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 14 cm Calvus Cichlid whole.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Calvus Cichlid and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
    • Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 14 cm Calvus Cichlid whole.
    • pH preferences only just meet (Calvus Cichlid 7.8–9 vs Redtail Catfish 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Calvus Cichlid and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
    • Size gap is too large (90 vs 14 cm): Spotted Gar will treat Calvus Cichlid as food.
    • pH preferences only just meet (Calvus Cichlid 7.8–9 vs Spotted Gar 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Calvus Cichlid and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
    • Calvus Cichlid is bite-sized to a 300 cm predatory wels catfish — it will be eaten.
    • pH preferences only just meet (Calvus Cichlid 7.8–9 vs Wels Catfish 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Calvus Cichlid and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Calvus Cichlid is bite-sized to a 72 cm predatory wolf cichlid — it will be eaten.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.

Compatibility is computed from each species' care data — a strong starting point, not a guarantee. Individual temperament varies, so always introduce new fish slowly and watch them.

Setting up a calvus cichlid community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 120 L+ tank with a gentle filter, a reliable heater and plenty of cover — broken sight lines and hiding spots let mid-water and bottom dwellers keep out of each other's way. Cycle it fully and stock gradually.

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How to choose

How to choose the right tank mates for a calvus cichlid

Being semi-aggressive, calvus cichlid can nip or harass smaller, slower or long-finned fish — give it space, broken sight-lines and similarly robust companions. It mostly occupies the bottom of the tank, so it pairs naturally with species that use the other levels.

Calvus Cichlid grows to about 14 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 7 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 24–27 °C (75–81 °F), pH 7.8–9 and 10–20 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Calvus Cichlid doesn't need its own kind to feel secure; think twice before keeping more than one if it is territorial. Whatever you add, introduce new fish slowly, watch for bullying in the first days, and have a backup plan if temperaments clash.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a calvus cichlid live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 5 compatible freshwater species for calvus cichlid. Pick calm, similarly-sized fish that share its water needs and add them to a mature, well-planted tank.

What is the best tank mate for a calvus cichlid?

Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Corydoras Catfish, Spotfin Corydoras, Upside-down Catfish. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.

What fish should you avoid keeping with a calvus cichlid?

Avoid Wels Catfish, Alligator Gar, Redtail Catfish and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.

How big a tank do calvus cichlid tank mates need?

Start from Calvus Cichlid's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 120 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.

← Back to the full Calvus Cichlid care guide