Emperor Peacock Cichlid Tank Mates
Emperor Peacock Cichlid is semi-aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 7 freshwater species that pair well with an emperor peacock cichlid — plus the 164 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.
The best tank mates for an emperor peacock cichlid
- Corydoras Catfish ✅ CompatibleEasy 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 ✅ CompatibleEasy 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.
- Upside-down Catfish ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 10 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.
- Marbled Hoplo ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 14 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °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.
- Spotted Talking Catfish ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 15 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Sterbai Corydoras ✅ CompatibleMedium care · Peaceful · 6.5 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Bearded Corydoras ✅ CompatibleMedium care · Peaceful · 10 cm · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–24 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
Emperor Peacock Cichlid tank mates that can work with care
- Adolf's Cory ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Adolf's Cory 5.8–7.2) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Afra Cichlid ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Afra Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- African Butterfly Cichlid ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs African Butterfly Cichlid 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Agassiz's Corydoras ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Agassiz's Corydoras 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)Different pH ranges (7.6–8.6 vs 5–7); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Altifrons Geophagus ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Different pH ranges (7.6–8.6 vs 5–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Amazon Puffer ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Amazon Puffer 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Angelfish ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Angelfish 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
+ 161 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.
Fish to avoid keeping with an emperor peacock cichlid
- Wels Catfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Wels Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Alligator Gar ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Alligator Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Redtail Catfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Redtail Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Fire Eel ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Fire Eel (100 cm) is big enough to swallow the 16 cm Emperor Peacock Cichlid whole.
- Clown Knifefish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Clown Knifefish will hold territory and clash.
- Koi ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Peaceful · 90 cm · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)Koi (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 16 cm Emperor Peacock Cichlid whole.
- Spotted Gar ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Spotted Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Wolf Cichlid ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Wolf Cichlid will hold territory and clash.
+ 156 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.
Check any fish against an emperor peacock cichlid
Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against an emperor peacock cichlid, with the reasoning for each verdict.
Tank-mate checker
Will it live with a Emperor Peacock Cichlid?
We compare each fish against your emperor peacock cichlid on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.
- Bearded Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–24 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Bearded Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Corydoras Catfish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 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.
- Keep Corydoras Catfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Marbled Hoplo✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °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✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 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.
- Keep Spotfin Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Spotted Talking Catfish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 15 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Sterbai Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6.5 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Sterbai Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Upside-down Catfish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 10 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.
- Angelfish⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Angelfish 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Angelfish can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Banjo Catfish⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Banjo Catfish 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Blue Flash Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-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.
- Clown Barb⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Clown Barb 6–6.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Clown Barb can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid is slow and long-finned; a busy clown barb shoal tends to nip at it. Keep clown barb in a proper group of 6+ and watch them closely.
- Keep Clown Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Denison Barb⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 18–25 °C (64–77 °F)
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Denison Barb are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add denison barb in a group to spread the pressure.
- Keep Denison Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Dolphin Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Dolphin Cichlid 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Dolphin Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Electric Blue Acara⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 16 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Electric Blue Acara 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Electric Blue Acara can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Fire Blue Empress Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 18 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 210 L tank is below the ~400 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Firemouth Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 22–29 °C (72–84 °F)
- Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- Giant Glass Catfish⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Giant Glass Catfish 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Giant Glass Catfish are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add giant glass catfish in a group to spread the pressure.
- Gold Zebra Loach⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 25–29 °C (77–84 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Gold Zebra Loach 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Gold Zebra Loach can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Green Phantom Pleco⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Green Phantom Pleco 5.5–7) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Green Phantom Pleco can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Moonlight Gourami⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 15 cm · Easy care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
- Different pH ranges (7.6–8.6 vs 6–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Expect Emperor Peacock Cichlid to harass Moonlight Gourami at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Snowball Pleco⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 16 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Different pH ranges (7.6–8.6 vs 5.5–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Yoyo Loach⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Different pH ranges (7.6–8.6 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.
- Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Alligator Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Size gap is too large (250 vs 16 cm): Alligator Gar will treat Emperor Peacock Cichlid as food.
- Your 210 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Clown Knifefish will hold territory and clash.
- Size gap is too large (90 vs 16 cm): Clown Knifefish will treat Emperor Peacock Cichlid as food.
- pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Clown Knifefish 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Your 210 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Fire Eel⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Fire Eel (100 cm) is big enough to swallow the 16 cm Emperor Peacock Cichlid whole.
- pH preferences only just meet (Emperor Peacock Cichlid 7.6–8.6 vs Fire Eel 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Fire Eel can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Your 210 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Koi⛔ Not recommendedPeaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
- Koi (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 16 cm Emperor Peacock Cichlid whole.
- Your 210 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Redtail Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 16 cm Emperor Peacock Cichlid whole.
- Different pH ranges (7.6–8.6 vs 6–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Your 210 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Spotted Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Spotted Gar (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 16 cm Emperor Peacock Cichlid whole.
- Different pH ranges (7.6–8.6 vs 6.5–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Your 210 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Wels Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Wels Catfish (300 cm) is big enough to swallow the 16 cm Emperor Peacock Cichlid whole.
- Different pH ranges (7.6–8.6 vs 6.5–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Your 210 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Emperor Peacock Cichlid and Wolf Cichlid will hold territory and clash.
- Emperor Peacock Cichlid is bite-sized to a 72 cm predatory wolf cichlid — it will be eaten.
- Your 210 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 an emperor peacock cichlid community tank
Give the group a stable, planted 210 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 the right tank mates for an emperor peacock cichlid
Being semi-aggressive, emperor peacock 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 middle of the tank, so it pairs naturally with species that use the other levels.
Emperor Peacock Cichlid grows to about 16 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 8 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 24–28 °C (75–82 °F), pH 7.6–8.6 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.
Emperor Peacock Cichlid is a shoaling fish — stock a group of 4+ of its own kind first, then build compatible tank mates around them. Whatever you add, introduce new fish slowly, watch for bullying in the first days, and have a backup plan if temperaments clash.
Frequently asked questions
Can an emperor peacock cichlid live with other fish?
Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 7 compatible freshwater species for emperor peacock 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 an emperor peacock 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 an emperor peacock 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 emperor peacock cichlid tank mates need?
Start from Emperor Peacock Cichlid's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 210 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.