Can african cichlids live with flowerhorns?

Verdict

No. African cichlids and flowerhorns should not share a tank. An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches african cichlids do.

African cichlid75–82°F · pH 7.8–8.6

Flowerhorn80–89°F · pH 7–8

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches african cichlids do.
Deal breakerBoth are aggressive, and flowerhorns are much bigger, so african cichlids lose.

What works

Both are fine at 80–82°F.
pH 7.8–8 suits both.

Water side by side

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

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

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	Flowerhorn
Temperature	75–82 °F	80–89 °F
pH	7.8–8.6	7–8
Adult size	5.0 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	75 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Aggressive
Swims at	All levels	Middle
Group	Groups of 6+	One per tank
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for african cichlids

All african cichlid tank mates

Questions

Can african cichlids live with flowerhorns?

No. African cichlids and flowerhorns should not share a tank. An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches african cichlids do.

What temperature suits both african cichlids and flowerhorns?

80–82 °F. African cichlids need 75–82 °F, flowerhorns need 80–89 °F.

What size tank do african cichlids and flowerhorns need together?

At least 75 gal, set by the flowerhorn. Add space for each extra fish.