Can african cichlids live with elephant nose fish?

Verdict

No. African cichlids and elephant nose fish should not share a tank. African cichlids are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.

African cichlid75–82°F · pH 7.8–8.6

Elephant nose fish73–82°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAfrican cichlids are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.
Watch outDifferent water: african cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, elephant nose fish want pH 6–7.5.

What works

Both are fine at 75–82°F.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

No pH suits both. One would live in the wrong water all the time.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	African cichlid	Elephant nose fish
Temperature	75–82 °F	73–82 °F
pH	7.8–8.6	6–7.5
Adult size	5.0 in	9.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	All levels	Bottom
Group	Groups of 6+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for african cichlids

All african cichlid tank mates

Better tank mates for elephant nose fish

All elephant nose fish tank mates

Questions

Can african cichlids live with elephant nose fish?

No. African cichlids and elephant nose fish should not share a tank. African cichlids are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.

What temperature suits both african cichlids and elephant nose fish?

75–82 °F. African cichlids need 75–82 °F, elephant nose fish need 73–82 °F.

What size tank do african cichlids and elephant nose fish need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the african cichlid. Add space for each extra fish.