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Tonight I bought my first pair of cichlids!! I bought 2 firemouth cichlids. They are the coolest fish. I do have a couple questions about them though.

1. What else can you keep with firemouth cichlids?

2. How many can I keep in my tank?

3. What is the best food to feed them? I bought cichlid pellets, is that good enough?

They are in a 55 gallon aquarium with an AquaClear 500 power filter. There is also a Pictus Catfish in the tank. Thanks for everyone's replies!!!!!

I've never kept firemouths (Thoricyths meeki) but I do have other species of Thoricyths. They are a relatively good community fish when kept with other cichlids. I would say you have to watch out for the other cichlids picking on the firemouths. In a 55 I would think you could keep around six. However, you have to be careful of a pair forming. If this happens and they begin to breed the aggression levels of the pair will go up drastically. As far as feeding them I would suggest a relatively steady diet of pellets. It is ok to feed bloodworms, Mysis Shrimp, Krill, and most of the other frozen varieties of food. Along with Spirulina flake (It helps prevent bloat, dropsy and increases the color of the fish) If you do decide to keep more fish in the tank I would suggest more filtration. Cichlids produce a big Bio-load and an Emperor 400 or another AQ-500 would be ideal.

I would get 6 to 8 juveniles and see how they interact with each other especially once they begin to pair off. If kept with in a group as juveniles, you may be able to get away with 2 pairs in your 55 gallon but there are no guaruntees.

Also, livebearers of some sort make the best tankmates. I'd go with either swordtails or platys myself because I don't really care for mollies and guppies would get eaten. The fry will be eaten, but livebearer fry makes up a large portion of the diet of firemouths and other Thorichthys spp. in the wild.

Jason