As you can see, there are a number of species that share habitat with them on the west side of the Andes, but it is notable, other cichlids, are not represented, with only mesoheros festae, and if you know anything about festae, they are also loners, so not a good idea.
Many aquarists conclude because those from Amazonia ,and Andinoacara from the west are similar.
To me this is a mistake.
Cichlids from Amazonia east of the Andes come from varied cichlid dense communities, so often cohabitat with other cichlids.
Andinoacara are an entirley different animal, and should probably thought of in those terms..
And just as an aside, trying to house them with loner Central Amerians is also a probably a mistake waiting to happen.
To me, they belong as a single scichlid pecies in a tank, (no other cichlids), but appropriate and adequate size west Andiean tetras, and or/other fish from the same biotope.
Where I collect Panamanian Andinoacara (a similar biotope), they seldom share habitat with other cichlids, only large shoals of Characins, (probably 50 tetras, to 1 cichlid,

and the like) a number of plecos, and a smattering of other odd balls suchas Gobies.


