Red devil cichlid care
Amphilophus labiatus · Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua, Nicaragua
The red devil is a big Central American cichlid, sold in salmon, orange, red and white, that grows to about a foot long.
- Tank size
- 75 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 82 °F (24 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- Alone (one per tank)
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Adult size
- 12 in
- pH
- 7 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 6 to 20 dGH
- Lifespan
- 10 to 12 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 75 gallon
48½ × 18½ × 21⅛ in outsideHow to keep red devil cichlids
The red devil is a big Central American cichlid, sold in salmon, orange, red and white, that grows to about a foot long. One needs a 75 gallon or larger tank with strong filtration, big weekly water changes and heavy rocks set on the bottom glass: it digs, moves decor and breaks heaters and other equipment. Most keepers give it the tank to itself; any tankmates must be large, tough Central American cichlids in a much bigger tank.
Diet: Omnivore: cichlid pellets, frozen foods, vegetables. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Red devil 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.
Red devil cichlids belong in a tank of their own: they nip, bully or eat most tankmates.
Keep apart
Neon tetra: Red devil cichlids belong in a tank of their own.
Cardinal tetra: Red devil cichlids belong in a tank of their own.
Black neon tetra: Red devil cichlids belong in a tank of their own.
Green neon tetra: Red devil cichlids belong in a tank of their own.
Ember tetra: Red devil cichlids belong in a tank of their own.
Glowlight tetra: Red devil cichlids belong in a tank of their own.
What a red devil cichlid tank needs
A tank of 75 US gallons or more (such as the 75 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon QuietFlow Canister Filter 300
Rated by the maker for 55–75 US gal, which covers a 75 gallon red devil cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Marineland Penguin PRO 375
Rated by the maker for up to 75 US gal, which covers a 75 gallon red devil cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon Pro 200
Red devil cichlids need 75 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding red devil cichlids.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 75 to 82 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 75 gallon tank · Heaters for a 75 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common red devil cichlid problems
- It rams the glass and bites hands in its tank: work in the tank with a long net and tongs.
- It breaks glass heaters: put a guard around the heater, or use an inline heater on a canister filter's return hose.
- A breeding pair attacks every other fish; keep a pair on its own.
- Shops sell the Midas cichlid as a red devil too; both need the same big tank and care.
- Never release one: red devils have become invasive in lakes in Indonesia.
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
Sources
Name and origin checked against Wikipedia: Amphilophus labiatus. Adult size, 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.
- Red devil cichlid AtelierMonpli, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green neon tetra Sascha Biedermann, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ember tetra Klaus Rudloff, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Glowlight tetra gonzalovalenzuela; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY 2.0, 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
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