how big of a fish can a cichlid eat?

[Experiment397]

ok so honestly how big of a fish can a cichlid eat? i mean you get told dont keep fish like giant barbs with big(12") cichlids because they will get eaten or dont put a school of like 20 5" fish in a tank with 10" cichlids, so in all honesty how big of a fish will a cichlid eat, how about how big of a fish for a 3", 6", 8", 12", 14"+ cichlid. thnx.

 

[elting44]

Generally if it will fit in its mouth, there is a good chance it will be eaten.

Another reason it is unadvisable to keep large cichlids with smaller, peaceful fish is that cichlids tend to be agressive and territorial, and smaller or slow-moving fish have no means to defend themselves and will get beat up on.

 

[TStone23]

I've seen a JD swallow a giant danio, a good sized one, not just a little pinner I know it doesnt really answer your question but, that's just what I've seen

 

[Pyramid_Party]

IMO a 3 incher could swallow 1/2 inch and smaller, and up to 1 inch maybe. 6 incher can probbaly eat 2 inch and lower, 8 inch probably 3 inch and lower, 12 inch probably 4 inch and lower. And 14 inch probably up to 5 inch and lower. Although some will try and eat bigger. Sometimes its not safe for them to eat a fish, and they will try and could die from it if it does not fit. To be honest, keep fish too big to be eaten to remove all doubt.


Don't risk a 5 inch fish with a 11 inch fish etc. You might end up losing both.

 

[ROFLbeaver]

I have one about 3-4 inches thats a vicious bastard killing machine. I put three other cichlids two of witch were larger 5-7 inches and one the same size in with it. It killed all three over night by taking there eyes out and ripping off there fins. Then i housed him with a snapping turtle temporarily unlit i could work out something for him on his own and i caught him nipping at the turtles feet and pushing him around. hes in a 10 gallon by him self until I can find someone to take him because I dont have the heart to flush or freeze him.

 

[HiImSean]

it really depends on the fish. severums have small mouths compared to jags. a deeper bodied dither fish is a good idea, like juvi silver dollars. also not all fish are going to be psycho fish eaters.

 

[elting44]

I have one about 3-4 inches thats a vicious bastard killing machine. I put three other cichlids two of witch were larger 5-7 inches and one the same size in with it. It killed all three over night by taking there eyes out and ripping off there fins. Then i housed him with a snapping turtle temporarily unlit i could work out something for him on his own and i caught him nipping at the turtles feet and pushing him around. hes in a 10 gallon by him self until I can find someone to take him because I dont have the heart to flush or freeze him.

I am guessing Red Devil?

 

[TiggertheOscar]

my oscars are around 9-10" and they have swallowed anything from a 4" largemouth to a 5" koi, so... i dunno, I just don't put anything smaller than the fish I have in my 320.

 

[Gruff Master]

It depends on the cichlid. Sometimes cichlids, regardless of size, will attack and kill smaller fish and not even eat them. I have had large cichlids try to eat fish much larger than their mouths. They would swallow them as far as they could and try to eat them before being forced to spit them out. Generally if fish are small enough to fit easily into a cichlids mouth they have a greater risk of being eaten.

 

[Slim2634]

I've had a 4 inch Jag take out your standard feeder goldfish. They weren't intended for food, just to cycle my tank. I figured they would work well as dithers must apparently the Jag had a different agenda. He took five out in three days and they were nearly his length.