Can Red Terror (Festa's Cichlid) and White Cloud Mountain Minnow Live Together?

Red Terror (Festa's Cichlid) is a highly aggressive species (10/10), while White Cloud Mountain Minnow is peaceful (1/10). This notable difference means Red Terror (Festa's Cichlid) may occasionally assert dominance over White Cloud Mountain Minnow.

Large aggression gap (9 points) between Red Terror (Festa's Cichlid) and White Cloud Mountain Minnow increases stress risk for the more peaceful fish.

Red Terror (Festa's Cichlid) and White Cloud Mountain Minnow both frequent the Middle (Open Water) region of the setup. This overlap can increase competition for space, so providing ample room and cover is important to keep both species comfortable.

There is a critical concern: the Piscivore (Eats small/nano fish) behaviour of one fish directly conflicts with the Nano / Bite-sized (Predation Risk) trait of the other — piscivorous fish will prey on nano-sized tank mates..

Worth noting: White Cloud Mountain Minnow is a known jumper, so a tight-fitting lid is essential.

There is no temperature overlap between Red Terror (Festa's Cichlid) (25–29°C) and White Cloud Mountain Minnow (14–22°C). This fundamental mismatch makes long-term cohabitation impractical.

Both fish can tolerate a pH between 6.5 and 8. Maintaining a stable value within this band is more important than hitting an exact number.

For general hardness, the shared comfort zone is 5–18 dGH. Regular testing will ensure conditions stay within this range.

To house Red Terror (Festa's Cichlid) and White Cloud Mountain Minnow together, plan for an aquarium of at least 450 litres with a minimum length of 150 cm. This recommendation combines the stricter species minimums with a community-load allowance so the pairing has realistic long-term space and filtration headroom.

Providing a mix of open swimming space and sheltered areas with rocks, driftwood, or plants will keep both species comfortable and allow natural behaviour.

Specific environmental needs for this combination include: Sand (Sifters), Driftwood (Digestion/Hiding), Smooth Gravel (Sensitive Barbels), Plants - Densely covered. Meeting these requirements will help both species thrive.

Note a potential conflict in setup requirements: Red Terror (Festa's Cichlid) is a plant destroyer, which conflicts with White Cloud Mountain Minnow's requirement for live plants. Compromise where possible or prioritise the more critical need.

Both species do well with moderate (standard) water movement, so a standard filtration setup rated for the tank volume should suffice.

Red Terror (Festa's Cichlid) and White Cloud Mountain Minnow are the kind of pair that can look acceptable in a shop but become a maintenance problem at home. The main risk is not a single number in the chart; it is the way incompatible behavior, water needs, or pressure on space compounds over time once both fish are established in the same tank.