Buyer question
How big do Cichlid freshwater fish get?
Our Animal Library lists the Cichlid freshwater fish at 2–12+ in by species (adult size).
Source: the Cichlid freshwater fish page in the Everybarn Animal Library. Cichlid freshwater fish in the Animal Library
The detail
Cichlids are a huge family of fish from Africa and the Americas, from small peaceful dwarfs to large, territorial predators. Many of the popular ones come from Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika, and they are colorful, intelligent and often aggressive.
- Housing
- Species-dependent, 30–75+ gal
- Tank size
- 3 out of 5 (Varies by species)
What to weigh
Cichlids can be aggressive, and mixing species without research leads to injuries and losses. Rift-lake species need hard, alkaline water.