Red Devil Cichlid Tank Mates
Red Devil Cichlid is aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 4 freshwater species that pair well with a red devil cichlid — plus the 280 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.
The best tank mates for a red devil cichlid
- Weather Loach ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 25 cm · 5–24 °C (41–75 °F)Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Snowball Pleco ✅ CompatibleMedium care · Peaceful · 16 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)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.
- Yellow-spotted Pleco ✅ CompatibleMedium care · Peaceful · 35 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Elephant-nose Knifefish ✅ CompatibleHard care · Peaceful · 35 cm · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)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.
Red Devil Cichlid tank mates that can work with care
- Adolf's Cory ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Adolf's Cory, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Agassiz's Corydoras ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Agassiz's Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Assassin Snail ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Assassin Snail, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Axelrod's Cory ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Axelrod's Cory, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Bandit Corydoras ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Bandit Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Bearded Corydoras ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Peaceful · 10 cm · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Bearded Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Black Doras Catfish ⚠️ With cautionHard care · Peaceful · 60 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Your 280 L tank is below the ~500 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Blood Red Tiger Pleco ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Blood Red Tiger Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
+ 48 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.
Fish to avoid keeping with a red devil cichlid
- Mekong Giant Catfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Semi-aggressive · 300 cm · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Red Devil Cichlid and Mekong Giant Catfish will hold territory and clash.
- Wels Catfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Red Devil Cichlid and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
- Alligator Gar ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Red Devil Cichlid and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
- Redtail Catfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Red Devil Cichlid and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
- Fire Eel ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Red Devil Cichlid and Fire Eel are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Clown Knifefish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Red Devil Cichlid and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Spotted Gar ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Red Devil Cichlid and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
- Wolf Cichlid ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)Red Devil Cichlid and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
+ 272 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.
Check any fish against a red devil cichlid
Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against a red devil cichlid, with the reasoning for each verdict.
Tank-mate checker
Will it live with a Red Devil Cichlid?
We compare each fish against your red devil cichlid on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.
- Elephant-nose Knifefish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 35 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- 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.
- Snowball Pleco✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 16 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- 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.
- Weather Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 25 cm · Easy care · 5–24 °C (41–75 °F)
- Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Yellow-spotted Pleco✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 35 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Bearded Corydoras⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
- Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Bearded Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Keep Bearded Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Black Doras Catfish⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 60 cm · Hard care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Your 280 L tank is below the ~500 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Bristlenose Pleco⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 23–30 °C (73–86 °F)
- Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Bristlenose Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Clown Loach⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 30 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
- Your 280 L tank is below the ~400 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Common Pleco⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 45 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Your 280 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Discus⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 20 cm · Hard care · 28–31 °C (82–88 °F)
- Red Devil Cichlid is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Discus — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Discus is small enough to tempt Red Devil Cichlid; only risk it in a densely planted setup with hiding spots.
- Keep Discus in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Giant Glass Catfish⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- Expect Red Devil Cichlid to harass Giant Glass Catfish at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Giant Glass Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Koi⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
- Watch for Koi picking off any red devil cichlid small enough to fit in its mouth.
- Your 280 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Marbled Hoplo⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Marbled Hoplo, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Medusa Pleco⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
- Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Medusa Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Porthole Catfish⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Porthole Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Rubber Lip Pleco⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
- Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Rubber Lip Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Sailfin Pleco⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 50 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Your 280 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Spotted Rubbernose Pleco⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
- Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Spotted Rubbernose Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Spotted Talking Catfish⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 15 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Spotted Talking Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Upside-down Catfish⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Red Devil Cichlid may bully the smaller Upside-down Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Red Devil Cichlid and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
- Size gap is too large (250 vs 38 cm): Alligator Gar will treat Red Devil Cichlid as food.
- Your 280 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)
- Red Devil Cichlid and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Red Devil Cichlid is small enough to tempt Clown Knifefish; only risk it in a densely planted setup with hiding spots.
- Your 280 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)
- Red Devil Cichlid and Fire Eel are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Size gap is too large (100 vs 38 cm): Fire Eel will treat Red Devil Cichlid as food.
- Your 280 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Mekong Giant Catfish⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Red Devil Cichlid and Mekong Giant Catfish will hold territory and clash.
- Your 280 L tank is below the ~100000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Red Devil Cichlid and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
- Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 38 cm Red Devil Cichlid whole.
- Your 280 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)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Red Devil Cichlid and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
- Spotted Gar may hunt Red Devil Cichlid, fry or shrimplets — safest in a heavily planted tank.
- Your 280 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)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Red Devil Cichlid and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
- Wels Catfish (300 cm) is big enough to swallow the 38 cm Red Devil Cichlid whole.
- Your 280 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)
- Red Devil Cichlid and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Red Devil Cichlid is small enough to tempt Wolf Cichlid; only risk it in a densely planted setup with hiding spots.
- Your 280 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 red devil cichlid community tank
Give the group a stable, planted 280 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 a red devil cichlid
Red Devil Cichlid is aggressive and territorial, so most community fish are unsafe; any tank mate must be large, tough and able to hold its own. It ranges across the whole water column, so tank mates that keep to one level help reduce friction.
Red Devil Cichlid grows to about 38 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 19 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 24–28 °C (75–82 °F), pH 6.8–7.5 and 6–18 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.
Red Devil 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.
Frequently asked questions
Can a red devil cichlid live with other fish?
Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 4 compatible freshwater species for red devil 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 red devil cichlid?
Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Weather Loach, Snowball Pleco, Yellow-spotted Pleco. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.
What fish should you avoid keeping with a red devil cichlid?
Avoid Mekong Giant Catfish, Wels Catfish, Alligator Gar and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.
How big a tank do red devil cichlid tank mates need?
Start from Red Devil Cichlid's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 280 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.