Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid Tank Mates

Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid is semi-aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 5 freshwater species that pair well with an eureka red peacock cichlid — plus the 165 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

By The Aquarium DB Team • Updated June 8, 2026 • Full Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid care guide →
Best matches

The best tank mates for an eureka red peacock cichlid

  • Corydoras Catfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 6.5 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.
  • 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)
    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 ✅ 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

Eureka Red Peacock 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 (7.8–8.6 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 (7.8–8.6 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 (7.8–8.6 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 (Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid 7.8–8.6 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 (Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid 7.8–8.6 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 (7.8–8.6 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 (7.8–8.6 vs 6–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.

+ 162 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with an eureka red peacock cichlid

  • Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Eureka Red Peacock 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: Eureka Red Peacock 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: Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
  • Fire Eel ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Size gap is too large (100 vs 15 cm): Fire Eel will treat Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid as food.
  • Clown Knifefish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Eureka Red Peacock 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 15 cm Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid whole.
  • Spotted Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
  • Wolf Cichlid ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.

+ 157 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Interactive tool

Check any fish against an eureka red peacock cichlid

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

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid?

We compare each fish against your eureka red peacock 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)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • 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)
    • 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
    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.
    • 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.
  • 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.
  • Angelfish⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–8.6 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 (7.8–8.6 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)
    • Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Blue Flash Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Your 200 L tank is below the ~210 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Calvus Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 14 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °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 (7.8–8.6 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.
    • 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)
    • Eureka Red 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 caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–8.6 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.
    • Your 200 L tank is below the ~208 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Electric Blue Acara⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 16 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–8.6 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.
  • Emperor Peacock Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 16 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Emperor Peacock Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Your 200 L tank is below the ~210 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Firemouth Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 22–29 °C (72–84 °F)
    • Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Firemouth Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Giant Glass Catfish⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–8.6 vs 6.5–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Expect Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid to harass Giant Glass Catfish at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
  • Gold Zebra Loach⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 25–29 °C (77–84 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–8.6 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.
  • Green Phantom Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–8.6 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.
  • Moonlight Gourami⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Easy care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid 7.8–8.6 vs Moonlight Gourami 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Expect Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid to harass Moonlight Gourami at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
  • Snowball Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 16 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid 7.8–8.6 vs Snowball Pleco 5.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
  • Yoyo Loach⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid 7.8–8.6 vs Yoyo Loach 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Eureka Red Peacock 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: Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
    • Alligator Gar (250 cm) is big enough to swallow the 15 cm Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid whole.
    • Your 200 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)
    • Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory clown knifefish — it will be eaten.
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–8.6 vs 6–7.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 200 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)
    • Size gap is too large (100 vs 15 cm): Fire Eel will treat Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid as food.
    • Different pH ranges (7.8–8.6 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.
    • Your 200 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 15 cm Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid whole.
    • Your 200 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: Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
    • Size gap is too large (120 vs 15 cm): Redtail Catfish will treat Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid as food.
    • pH preferences only just meet (Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid 7.8–8.6 vs Redtail Catfish 6–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 200 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: Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
    • Spotted Gar (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 15 cm Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid whole.
    • pH preferences only just meet (Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid 7.8–8.6 vs Spotted Gar 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 200 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: Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
    • Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid is bite-sized to a 300 cm predatory wels catfish — it will be eaten.
    • pH preferences only just meet (Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid 7.8–8.6 vs Wels Catfish 6.5–7.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 200 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)
    • Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid is bite-sized to a 72 cm predatory wolf cichlid — it will be eaten.
    • Your 200 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 eureka red peacock cichlid community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 200 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 an eureka red peacock cichlid

Being semi-aggressive, eureka red 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.

Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid grows to about 15 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 7.8–8.6 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.

Eureka Red Peacock 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 an eureka red peacock cichlid live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 5 compatible freshwater species for eureka red 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 eureka red 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 eureka red 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 eureka red peacock cichlid tank mates need?

Start from Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 200 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.

← Back to the full Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid care guide