What fish can I put in a tank with a chichlid?

Question

I have one very large black belt chichlid. He was part of a breeding pair and killed his mate a week after I got them. Now, he is all alone in a 40 gallon tank. What else can I put in there? He is aggressive and large.

I was thinking about getting an oscar becuase I love them but all they sell our the small ones. Will it be ok with my big fish? Oscars are aggressive fish also, right?

The person I got the fish from had them forever. I just moved him into the 40 gallon from an even smaller one that she had them both in. The 40 is def. not to small for him.

Answer 1

sorry to tell you this...but the only suitable fish would be feeder fish.

You can always put another aggressive cichlid, but it's always a gamble.

Answer 2

Well.. you got a tough one there.
The only thing I can tell you is: another chichlid- if possible slightly larger to keep him in check.
You can try something completely different like mollys as well.They're much smaller and he may not see them as a threat to his territory....... just make sure you give them plenty of hiding spots. If he kills those, at least you've only spent a couple of dollars.
I hear that some other fish can work out with Chichlids too... a suckerfish for example should be okay.
If your black belt has killed his mate, he might not really tolerate anything else in the tank with him. Chichlids are very aggressive and it's quite common to start out with a group and end up with one big fish who's killed everybody around him.
Good luck - I hope you can find him a good roommate or two.

Answer 3

There is probably no good tank mate for this fish,and it will outgrow a forty gallon tank fairly quickly. The reason it killed its mate was the fact that the tank was too small.
Also,when these guys are full grown they will be almost a foot long.

Answer 4

I put other ciclids in my tanks or a jack dempsy or an oscar