Can I house a Blue Acara and a Firemouth in a 45 gallon tank?

J.D.: Can I house a Blue Acara and a Firemouth in a 45 gallon tank?
I only have a common pleco in there now. If I can house them, is there any other fish(es) i can house with them?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Shawn W
Absolutely you can have a blue acara with a firemouth but he will grow big. Around 20cm. If you wanted to though you could also add kribensis. Severems are also a great addition with these type of fish and are beautiful too. They are a similar shape to discus and come in a variety of gold or green.
Jewels are also a good tank mate aswell. They are a beautiful red with neon speckled dots on them.
All these fish prefer neutral water around 24 degrees C.

You must have the tank to house these fish though as they all grow quite large and the recommended tank size is around 150 litres or more so your 45 gallon may be a borderline.

Answer by BrandonM
Yep that should be great. neither of those fish grow too large. Firemouths about 6″, Acaras about 8″. You could probably add one or two more smaller sized cichlids in there if you really wanted to, depending on the temperment and size of the fish that are already in there. Make sure there’s lots of tank furnature and hiding spots (plants and caves). If you add two more and they start to fight because their territories are overlapping, you will have to remove the ones you like the least.

The Severum is a good fit temperment wise, but at 12″ they get too big for a 45. Same with a male Niceraguensis. Jack Dempsey, Texas Cichlid, Oscar, and Green Terror.

Other fish you could consider:
Salvini
Convict
Smaller Pike Cichlids
Bolivian/Ruby Ram Cichlids (watch they don’t get too bullied)
Balzanni
Keyhole Cichlid
Curvicepts
Rainbow Cichlid
Blood Parrots
Aureums
Blue Eyed cichlid