Cichlids · Herotilapia
Rainbow cichlid
Herotilapia multispinosa · Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (Lakes Nicaragua/Managua region)
Photo: Klaus Rudloff, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Water temperature
22–28 °C 72–82 °F
pH
7–8 hard, alkaline water
Adult size
10 cm 3.9 in
Swims
Bottom mostly on the floor and in caves
Keep together
2 or more a shoal feels safe
Current
Calm still or slow water
Food
Greens and algae
Temperament
Peaceful
Where it comes from
Home water
Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (Lakes Nicaragua/Managua region)
Lives in lake habitat.
Shaded: the countries it comes from. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with low flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Good together
-
Candy stripe L015
Plecos · 10 cm · bottom -
Zebra L046
Plecos · 8 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Rainbowfish · 10 cm · mid-water -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Butterfly hillstream loach
Loaches · 8 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Aggressive and will eat the rainbow cichlid
-
Will eat the rainbow cichlid
-
Need a different pH
In the hobby
Where to find it
No store or breeder we know of has it right now.
Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.
Tanks with this fish
No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.
From keepers
Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.
Questions keepers ask
How big does a Rainbow cichlid get?
About 10 cm (3.9 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Rainbow cichlid need?
22–28 °C (72–82 °F).
What pH does a Rainbow cichlid need?
pH 7–8.
Does a Rainbow cichlid need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 2.
Is the Rainbow cichlid aggressive?
No. It is peaceful with fish that suit the same water.
What does a Rainbow cichlid eat?
Feed mostly vegetables, algae wafers and greens.
Where does the Rainbow cichlid come from?
Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (Lakes Nicaragua/Managua region).
What fish can live with a Rainbow cichlid?
Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Zebra (L046), Amano shrimp, Boeseman's rainbowfish, Bolivian ram.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 22 | Sourced |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 28 | Sourced |
| pH min | 7 | Sourced |
| pH max | 8 | Sourced |
| Adult size (cm) | 10 | Sourced |
| Flow | Low | Sourced |
| Swim level (top / middle / bottom) | bottom | Sourced |
| Habitat | lake | Estimate |
| Smallest happy group | 2 | Sourced |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Sourced |
| Diet | Herbivore | Sourced |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.