Rainbow cichlid care

Herotilapia multispinosa · Lakes and swamps of Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica

Rainbow cichlid (Herotilapia multispinosa) — Photo: Happy Birthday To You!, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Rainbow cichlids are among the mildest Central American cichlids: yellow with a line of dark spots, most adults about 3 inches.

Tank size: 30 US gal or larger
Temperature: 72 to 84 °F (22 to 29 °C)
Group size: Alone or in a pair
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Adult size: 6 in (the largest fish; most adults are about 3 in)
pH: 7 to 8
Hardness (GH): 9 to 20 dGH
Lifespan: 8 to 12 years
Diet: Omnivore that grazes algae
Care level: Easy

Check it in the stocking checker →

In a 30 gallon

36¼ × 12⅝ × 16¾ in outside

Drawn to scale: one rainbow cichlid at adult size (6 in) in the smallest listed tank that suits them. Choose your tank on the home page to see them in it.

How to keep rainbow cichlids

Rainbow cichlids are among the mildest Central American cichlids: yellow with a line of dark spots, most adults about 3 inches. A pair suits a 30 gallon or larger tank with hard, neutral to alkaline water, rocks and caves. They graze algae in the wild, so feed a pellet with plant matter as well as frozen foods.

Diet: Omnivore that grazes algae: cichlid pellets with spirulina, vegetables, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.

Where they swim: Middle of the tank.

Rainbow cichlid tank mates

Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.

Bristlenose pleco

6 in · 29+ gal · 73–81 °F

Siamese algae eater

6 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F

Three-spot (blue) gourami

6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F

Firemouth cichlid

6 in · 40+ gal · 75–84 °F

Yoyo loach

6 in · 40+ gal · 75–82 °F

Flying fox

6 in · 40+ gal · 72–79 °F

Green phantom pleco

5.9 in · 40+ gal · 77–84 °F

Rubbernose pleco

5.7 in · 30+ gal · 68–77 °F

Keep apart

Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Cherry shrimp: Rainbow cichlids eat shrimp.
Amano shrimp: Rainbow cichlids eat shrimp.
Ghost shrimp: Rainbow cichlids eat shrimp.
African dwarf frog: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by rainbow cichlids.
Crystal red shrimp: Rainbow cichlids eat shrimp.

What a rainbow cichlid tank needs

A tank of 30 US gallons or more (such as the 30 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.

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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20

Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon rainbow cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.

Details and fit →

Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal

Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon rainbow cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.

Details and fit →

Fluval E100

Rainbow cichlids need 72 to 84 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.

Details and fit →

API Freshwater Master Test Kit

Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding rainbow cichlids.

Details and fit →Check price on Amazon

Seachem Prime 100 mL

Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.

Details and fit →Check price on Amazon

Fluval Edge Thermometer

Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 84 °F.

Details and fit →Check price on Amazon

We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →

Common rainbow cichlid problems

A breeding pair defends its corner hard; give the tank enough room and cover for the other fish.
Small shrimp and fry get eaten.

Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.

More to compare

Fish for a 30 gallon tank Angelfish tank mates Centerpiece fish Fish for hard water Types of cichlids

Angelfish

6 in · 29+ gal

Discus

8 in · 55+ gal

German blue ram

3 in · 20+ gal

Cockatoo dwarf cichlid

3 in · 20+ gal

Sources

Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Herotilapia multispinosa. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.

Photo credits

Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.

Rainbow cichlid Happy Birthday To You!, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Bristlenose pleco André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Siamese algae eater aleander2137, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Firemouth cichlid H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Yoyo loach Orishas92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Flying fox Mirko Hartig, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
Green phantom pleco 5snake5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rubbernose pleco Frank Alvarez, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ghost shrimp Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
African dwarf frog Stuart Halliday, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Crystal red shrimp DirkBlankenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons