Aquariumcichlid · freshwater
Firemouth Cichlid: adult size, tank size & tankmates
The Firemouth Cichlid (Thorichthys meeki) grows to about 5.7 in (12 cm SL). It needs a tank at least 47 inches long and about 29 gallons. Keep at least 2 together, at 68–90°F.
How big it really gets
Drawn to scale against common tank lengths. Green bars meet the minimum tank length from our sources.
Will it fit your tank?
Quick facts
- Adult size
- 5.7 in (12 cm SL)
- Minimum tank
- 47 inches long and about 29 gallons
- Temperature
- 68–90°F
- pH
- 6.5–8.5
- Hardness
- 2–15 dGH
- Group size
- 2+
- With other fish
- semi-aggressive
- With its own kind
- semi-aggressive
- Swims
- middle of the tank
- Diet
- omnivore
- Care level
- intermediate
- Lifespan
- not stated in sources
Watch for: eats small fish · eats shrimp · eats snails
Firemouth Cichlid tankmates
Checked with the same rules as our tank builder: temperature overlap, pH and hardness, predation and mouth size, fin-nipping and temperament. Tank size is left out here; check it in the builder.
Good tankmates
- Dwarf GouramiNeeds careAdult ~4.2 in · 72–81°F
- Pearl GouramiAdult ~5.7 in · 75–86°F
- BettaNeeds careAdult ~3.3 in · 72–86°F
- KribensisAdult ~4.7 in · 75–81°F
- AngelfishNeeds careAdult ~7.1 in · 75–86°F
- Kuhli LoachAdult ~4.7 in · 70–79°F
- Bristlenose PlecoAdult ~5.9 in · 70–79°F
- Tiger BarbNeeds careAdult ~2.8 in · 68–79°F
- SwordtailNeeds careAdult ~6.6 in · 61–82°F
- Boesemani RainbowfishAdult ~5.2 in · 81–86°F
Use caution
- Cardinal TetraFiremouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Cardinal Tetra.
- Harlequin RasboraFiremouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Harlequin Rasbora.
- Cherry BarbFiremouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Cherry Barb.
- Rummy-nose TetraFiremouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Rummy-nose Tetra.
- Black Neon TetraFiremouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Black Neon Tetra.
- Glowlight TetraFiremouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Glowlight Tetra.
- Lemon TetraFiremouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Lemon Tetra.
- GuppyFiremouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Guppy.
Avoid
- Neon TetraFiremouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Neon Tetra only grows to about 1.4 in.
- Ember TetraFiremouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Ember Tetra only grows to about 0.9 in.
- Chili RasboraFiremouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Chili Rasbora only grows to about 0.9 in.
- Celestial Pearl DanioFiremouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Celestial Pearl Danio only grows to about 1 in.
- Endler's LivebearerNeeds careFiremouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Endler's Livebearer only grows to about 1.2 in.
- Pygmy CoryFiremouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Pygmy Cory only grows to about 1.4 in.
- Cherry ShrimpFiremouth Cichlid will eat Cherry Shrimp.
- Amano ShrimpFiremouth Cichlid will eat Amano Shrimp.
All 105 species we checked against the Firemouth Cichlid
| Species | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Angelfish | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Bala Shark | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Betta | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Black Skirt Tetra | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Blood Parrot Cichlid | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Boesemani Rainbowfish | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Bristlenose Pleco | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Buenos Aires Tetra | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Chinese Algae Eater | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Clown Loach | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Clown Pleco | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Common / Comet Goldfish | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Common Pleco | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Convict Cichlid | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Denison Barb | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Discus | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Dwarf Gourami | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Electric Blue Acara | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Electric Yellow Lab | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Fancy Goldfish | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Kissing Gourami | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Kribensis | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Kuhli Loach | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Moonlight Gourami | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Oscar | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Paradise Fish | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Pearl Gourami | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Pictus Catfish | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Rainbow Shark | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Red-Tail Shark | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Rosy Barb | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Scissortail Rasbora | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Serpae Tetra | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Siamese Algae Eater | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Swordtail | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Three-spot Gourami | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Tiger Barb | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Tinfoil Barb | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Upside-down Catfish | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Weather Loach | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Yoyo Loach | Compatible | No conflicts found |
| Black Neon Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Black Neon Tetra. |
| Bleeding Heart Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Bleeding Heart Tetra. |
| Bolivian Ram | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Bolivian Ram. |
| Bronze Cory | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Bronze Cory. |
| Bumblebee Goby | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Bumblebee Goby. |
| Cardinal Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Cardinal Tetra. |
| Cherry Barb | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Cherry Barb. |
| Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid.; Firemouth Cichlid (pH 6.5–8.5) and Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid (pH 5–6) prefer different pH. |
| Congo Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Congo Tetra. |
| Diamond Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Diamond Tetra. |
| Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish. |
| Forktail Blue-eye | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Forktail Blue-eye. |
| German Blue Ram | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful German Blue Ram. |
| Giant Danio | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Giant Danio. |
| Glass Catfish | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Glass Catfish. |
| Glowlight Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Glowlight Tetra. |
| Gold Barb | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Gold Barb. |
| Guppy | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Guppy. |
| Harlequin Rasbora | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Harlequin Rasbora. |
| Head-and-tail-light Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Head-and-tail-light Tetra. |
| Hillstream Loach | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Hillstream Loach. |
| Honey Gourami | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Honey Gourami. |
| Julii Cory | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Julii Cory. |
| Lemon Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Lemon Tetra. |
| Marbled Hatchetfish | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Marbled Hatchetfish. |
| Molly | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Molly. |
| Odessa Barb | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Odessa Barb. |
| Otocinclus | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Otocinclus. |
| Panda Cory | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Panda Cory. |
| Pearl Danio | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Pearl Danio. |
| Penguin Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Penguin Tetra. |
| Peppered Cory | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Peppered Cory. |
| Platy | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Platy. |
| Pristella Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Pristella Tetra. |
| Rummy-nose Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Rummy-nose Tetra. |
| Silver Hatchetfish | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Silver Hatchetfish. |
| Silver Tip Tetra | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Silver Tip Tetra. |
| Sparkling Gourami | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Sparkling Gourami. |
| Sterbai Cory | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Sterbai Cory. |
| Variatus Platy | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Variatus Platy. |
| White Cloud Mountain Minnow | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful White Cloud Mountain Minnow. |
| Zebra Danio | Caution | Firemouth Cichlid can bully smaller, peaceful Zebra Danio. |
| African Dwarf Frog | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats small fish, and African Dwarf Frog only grows to about 1.4 in. |
| Amano Shrimp | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid will eat Amano Shrimp. |
| Assassin Snail | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats snails, including Assassin Snail. |
| Bamboo Shrimp | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid will eat Bamboo Shrimp. |
| Celestial Pearl Danio | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Celestial Pearl Danio only grows to about 1 in. |
| Cherry Shrimp | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid will eat Cherry Shrimp. |
| Chili Rasbora | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Chili Rasbora only grows to about 0.9 in. |
| Clown Killifish | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Clown Killifish only grows to about 1.6 in. |
| Crystal Red Shrimp | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid will eat Crystal Red Shrimp. |
| Ember Tetra | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Ember Tetra only grows to about 0.9 in. |
| Endler's Livebearer | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Endler's Livebearer only grows to about 1.2 in. |
| Ghost Shrimp | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid will eat Ghost Shrimp. |
| Iridescent Shark | Avoid | Iridescent Shark eats small fish, and Firemouth Cichlid only grows to about 5.7 in. |
| Japanese Trapdoor Snail | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats snails, including Japanese Trapdoor Snail. |
| Lambchop Rasbora | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Lambchop Rasbora only grows to about 1.4 in. |
| Malaysian Trumpet Snail | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats snails, including Malaysian Trumpet Snail. |
| Mystery Snail | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats snails, including Mystery Snail.; Firemouth Cichlid (pH 6.5–8.5) and Mystery Snail (pH unknown) prefer different pH. |
| Neon Tetra | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Neon Tetra only grows to about 1.4 in. |
| Nerite Snail | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats snails, including Nerite Snail. |
| Pea Puffer | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Pea Puffer only grows to about 1.4 in. |
| Pygmy Cory | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats small fish, and Pygmy Cory only grows to about 1.4 in. |
| Ramshorn Snail | Avoid | Firemouth Cichlid eats snails, including Ramshorn Snail. |
Care notes
Needs: Needs caves/cover and room for a breeding territory; choose tankmates carefully (similar-sized Central American cichlids or robust livebearers).
Group: Pair is the minimum in a 120x30 cm tank; SF says groups of 8+ do best in larger tanks
Temperament: semi-aggressive toward other fish, semi-aggressive toward its own kind. Lives in the middle of the tank.
Common questions
How big does a Firemouth Cichlid get?
About 5.7 inches (12 cm SL) as an adult, according to seriouslyfish.com.
What size tank does a Firemouth Cichlid need?
At least 47 inches long and about 29 gallons. The smallest standard tank that meets that is a 55 gallon.
How many Firemouth Cichlids should be kept together?
At least 2. Pair is the minimum in a 120x30 cm tank; SF says groups of 8+ do best in larger tanks
What fish can live with a Firemouth Cichlid?
Species that passed every check include Dwarf Gourami, Pearl Gourami, Betta, Kribensis, Angelfish, Kuhli Loach.
Gear for a Firemouth Cichlid setup
TankSmallest standard tank that meets its minimum: 55 gallon (48 in long).Find on Amazon →HeaterAbout 300 W for 55 gallons, holding 68–90°F.Find on Amazon →FoodA quality flake or micro-pellet as a staple.Find on Amazon →Test kitCheck ammonia, nitrite and pH. Cycle the tank before adding fish.Find on Amazon →
As an Amazon Associate, AquariumSetup earns from qualifying purchases. Links open Amazon search results so you can compare current options.
Related guides
Sources
Values come from these pages, in our own words. Status: verified (independent spot-check). Last reviewed 2026-10-12.
- seriouslyfish.com /species/thorichthys-meeki/
- fishbase.se /summary/Thorichthys-meeki.html