Firemouth Cichlid

Thorichthys meeki

Also known as: Firemouth

Water Parameters

• Temperature: 23–28°C
• pH: 6.5–8
• Hardness (GH): 89–322 ppm (5–18 dGH)

Values above are general hardness (GH). For carbonate hardness (KH), the buffer that keeps pH stable, see the water parameters guide.

Care Summary

A handsome and characterful Central American cichlid named for the brilliant red that floods its throat and belly, most intense in displaying males, which inflate the throat and flare the gill covers in a threat display that is as much theatre as aggression. Firemouths are a good step into larger cichlids: hardy, intelligent, attractively coloured, and territorial in a manageable, mostly-bluffing way rather than the all-out aggression of convicts or jack dempseys. They need a tank of around 150 litres, a sand substrate they can sift and dig, some rockwork and caves to define territories, and tankmates chosen for size and sturdiness rather than the delicate community species they would eat or harass. They pair readily and make diligent parents. Adaptable to a wide range of water including the hard, alkaline tap supply common across Australia, they are a rewarding centrepiece for a robust community or a Central American setup.

Tankmates

A medium-sized New World cichlid with a temperament that is mostly bluff: firemouths are territorial, especially when breeding, but they intimidate rather than brawl, flaring their bright red throats and gill covers to look twice their size and settle disputes without much actual damage. That makes them more community-compatible than a convict, though still not a fish for nano tankmates, which they will eat or bully. Best kept as a single specimen or a bonded pair with robust, medium-to-large tankmates: silver dollars, larger catfish, bigger barbs and loaches, and other reasonably-sized fish that can hold their own. They sift sand and dig, particularly when breeding, so use a sand or smooth gravel substrate and expect some landscaping. Tolerant of hard Australian tap water.

Compatible with

• Silver Dollar
• Bristlenose Pleco
• Common Pleco
• Synodontis Catfish
• Clown Loach

Avoid keeping with

• Betta
• Neon Tetra
• Cherry Shrimp
• Guppy
• German Blue Ram

Common Problems

• territorial aggression and digging when breeding
• predation on small tankmates
• uprooting plants while sifting sand
• ich

Sources: seriouslyfish.com, fishbase.org · Last updated: 2026-06-20