Topaz Cichlid Tank Mates

Topaz Cichlid is semi-aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 37 freshwater species that pair well with a topaz cichlid — plus the 73 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

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

The best tank mates for a topaz cichlid

  • Axelrod's Cory ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Bandit Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Japanese Trapdoor Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 10–28 °C (50–82 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Julii Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Masked Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Skunk Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Rust Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Agassiz's Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Elegant Cory ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • False Julii Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • 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; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Peppered Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 7 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Spotted Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 7 cm · 22–27 °C (72–81 °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.
  • Black Kuhli Loach ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Burmese Loach ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 9 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.
  • Kuhli Loach ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 10 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Murray River Rainbowfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 11 cm · 15–26 °C (59–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Giant Kuhli Loach ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 12 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °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.
  • Blue Turbo Snail ✅ Compatible
    Medium care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 25–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Horseman Cory ✅ Compatible
    Medium care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Panda Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Medium care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Adolf's Cory ✅ Compatible
    Medium care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Duplicareus Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Medium care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
With caution

Topaz Cichlid tank mates that can work with care

  • Afra Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–8.6); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
  • African Butterfly Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 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.
  • African Dwarf Frog ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Topaz Cichlid may hunt African Dwarf Frog, fry or shrimplets — safest in a heavily planted tank.
  • Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Topaz Cichlid and Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Altifrons Geophagus ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Topaz Cichlid and Altifrons Geophagus can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Amano Shrimp ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    Topaz Cichlid may eat Amano Shrimp or pick off its shrimplets — a densely planted tank with moss gives them a fighting chance.
  • Amapá Tetra ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Topaz Cichlid clearly outsizes Amapá Tetra and is semi-aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
  • Amazon Puffer ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Topaz Cichlid and Amazon Puffer are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add amazon puffer in a group to spread the pressure.

+ 222 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with a topaz cichlid

  • Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Topaz 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: Topaz 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: Topaz 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 10 cm Topaz Cichlid whole.
  • Clown Knifefish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Topaz 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 10 cm Topaz Cichlid whole.
  • Spotted Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Topaz Cichlid and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
  • Wolf Cichlid ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Topaz Cichlid and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.

+ 65 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Interactive tool

Check any fish against a topaz cichlid

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

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Topaz Cichlid?

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

  • Agassiz's Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Agassiz's Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Banjo Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Black Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Blood Red Tiger Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °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.
  • Bolivian Ram✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °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.
  • Burmese Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 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.
  • Butterfly Hillstream Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–24 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • 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.
    • Keep Corydoras Catfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Elegant Cory✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Elegant Cory in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • False Julii Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep False Julii Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • German Blue Ram✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 27–30 °C (81–86 °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.
  • Giant Betta✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Giant Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °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.
  • Hillstream Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 20–24 °C (68–75 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Leopard Frog Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °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.
  • Murray River Rainbowfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 11 cm · Easy care · 15–26 °C (59–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
    • Keep Murray River Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Panda Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 18–23 °C (64–73 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–23 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Peppered Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Peppered Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Slate Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °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.
    • Keep Slate Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Spotfin Corydoras✅ 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.
    • Keep Spotfin Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Spotted Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °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 Spotted Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Spotted Rubbernose Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °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.
  • Sterbai Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6.5 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Sterbai Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Afra Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–8.6); 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 75 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Afra Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bearded Corydoras⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Bearded Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Clown Rasbora⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Expect Topaz Cichlid to harass Clown Rasbora at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~110 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Clown Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Daffodil Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Topaz Cichlid 6.5–7.5 vs Daffodil Cichlid 7.8–9) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Topaz Cichlid and Daffodil Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Electric Yellow Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–8.9); 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 75 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Giant Danio⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 20–27 °C (68–81 °F)
    • Topaz Cichlid is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Giant Danio — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~110 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Giant Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Golden Wonder Killifish⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 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.
  • Keyhole Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Topaz Cichlid and Keyhole Cichlid are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add keyhole cichlid in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Kribensis⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Topaz Cichlid and Kribensis can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Molly⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Expect Topaz Cichlid to harass Molly at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
  • Porthole Catfish⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Rosy Barb⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Keep Rosy Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Rusty Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Topaz Cichlid 6.5–7.5 vs Rusty Cichlid 7.8–8.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Topaz Cichlid and Rusty Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Tanganyikan Butterfly Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Topaz Cichlid 6.5–7.5 vs Tanganyikan Butterfly Cichlid 8–9) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Topaz Cichlid and Tanganyikan Butterfly Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~130 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Upside-down Catfish⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~115 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Zebra Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Hard care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Topaz Cichlid and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
    • Alligator Gar (250 cm) is big enough to swallow the 10 cm Topaz Cichlid whole.
    • Your 75 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)
    • Topaz Cichlid and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Size gap is too large (90 vs 10 cm): Clown Knifefish will treat Topaz Cichlid as food.
    • Your 75 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 10 cm Topaz Cichlid whole.
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 75 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 10 cm Topaz Cichlid whole.
    • Your 75 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: Topaz Cichlid and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
    • Size gap is too large (120 vs 10 cm): Redtail Catfish will treat Topaz Cichlid as food.
    • Your 75 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: Topaz Cichlid and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
    • Spotted Gar (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 10 cm Topaz Cichlid whole.
    • Your 75 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: Topaz Cichlid and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
    • Wels Catfish (300 cm) is big enough to swallow the 10 cm Topaz Cichlid whole.
    • Your 75 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)
    • Topaz Cichlid and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Wolf Cichlid (72 cm) is big enough to swallow the 10 cm Topaz Cichlid whole.
    • Your 75 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 topaz cichlid community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 75 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 topaz cichlid

Being semi-aggressive, topaz 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.

Topaz Cichlid grows to about 10 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 5 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 23–28 °C (73–82 °F), pH 6.5–7.5 and 5–15 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Topaz Cichlid is a shoaling fish — stock a group of 2+ 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.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a topaz cichlid live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 37 compatible freshwater species for topaz 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 topaz cichlid?

Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Axelrod's Cory, Bandit Corydoras, Japanese Trapdoor Snail. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.

What fish should you avoid keeping with a topaz 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 topaz cichlid tank mates need?

Start from Topaz Cichlid's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 75 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.

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