Cichlids - South American, Central American, African

Discus

The "King of the Aquarium." 50+ named strains. Demanding parameters, premium pricing.

Angelfish (Pterophyllum)

Standard, Koi, Marble, Black Lace, Albino, Veil. The other South American centerpiece.

Apistogramma

Dwarf cichlids. Cacatuoides, Agassizii, Borellii, Macmasteri. Color, character, manageable size.

Rams (Mikrogeophagus)

German Blue Ram, Bolivian Ram, Electric Blue Ram. Peaceful dwarf cichlids.

Severums & Festivums

Mid-size SA peaceful cichlids.

Oscars

Tiger, Albino, Red. Personality fish, 12-inch adults, 75g+ tank.

Geophagus

Eartheater cichlids. Tapajos, Surinamensis, Sveni. Sand-sifting beauties.

Mbuna (Lake Malawi)

Yellow Lab, Auratus, Demasoni, Red Zebra. African Rift Lake rock dwellers.

Aulonocara (Peacocks)

Named lineages: OB, Eureka Red, Ruby Red, Sunshine, Strawberry. Brilliant colors.

Haps (Lake Malawi)

Electric Blue Ahli, Red Empress, Borleyi. Larger Malawi predators.

Tanganyika

Frontosa, Tropheus, Julidochromis, Cyprichromis, Shell-Dwellers. Lake Tanganyika diversity.

Convicts & Firemouth

Central American hardy cichlids. Convict, Firemouth, Salvini.

Jack Dempsey & Jaguar

Larger CA predators. 100g+ aggressive cichlid tanks.

Red Devil & Midas

14-inch Central American beasts. Personality + size.

Krib (Pelvicachromis)

West African dwarfs. Pulcher, Taeniatus, Subocellatus.

Choosing your cichlid path

The three cichlid hobbies do not mix:

South American (soft, acidic): pH 5.5-7.2, soft water. Discus, angels, apistos, rams, geophagus. Aquascape with driftwood and tannins.
Central American (mid, hard): pH 7.2-8.0, mid-hard water. Convicts, firemouth, oscars, jaguars. Larger aggressive species, simpler aquascape.
African Rift Lake (hard, alkaline): pH 7.8-8.6, hard water. Mbuna, peacocks, haps, Tanganyikans. Rock-pile aquascape, no plants.

Mixing across regions requires water-chemistry compromise that satisfies neither side. Pick a region, learn it, then expand.

Sources and references

Recommendations on this page cross-checked against the following authoritative references and our internal vendor + breeder database.