South American cichlids are generally tolerant of other fish groups, so unlike African cichlids, they make great community fish as long as smaller fish cannot fit in their mouths. There are a few notable exceptions, such as Oscars, Butterkofferi, and Red Terrors. These guys are brutes but great pets. We recommend purchasing medium size fish, about 2” to 3” in length, so that they can grow into your aquarium environment. Medium size on dwarf cichlids is about 1.25 to 1.5”.