Top 5 least aggressive cichlid

[tiger15]

Guys are fascinated by aggressive cichlid and there are numerous threads on the subject. Let’s change the polling on which cichlid are least aggressive. Here is my take based on my personal experience. What is your experience?

Malawi: Yellow Lab and Pseudotropheus saulosi. These are dwarf MBUNA I have kept in group in my planted 75 gal with no significant fighting or casualty ever.

Tanganyikan: Frontosa and Lamprologus tretocephalus. I have kept a Single Frontosa in my planted 125g mixed cichlid community for 10 years and it has never bullied smaller tankmates. Front are typically kept in colony in bigger tank. I keep a colony of L. tretocephalus (aka mini Front)with my Front in my planted 75 gal and they get along and breed regularly.

Non rift lake African: My Kribensis colony breed regularly and self sustain a population in my planted 75g for years. Jewel cichlid are typically aggressive, but I am able to keep a breeding group of Hemichromis exsul in my planted 125g for years with no significant fighting.

CA: Rainbow cichlid is a dwarf CA I have kept peacefully long term in my 75g. Vieja synspillum and Jack Dampsey were peaceful and somewhat timid in my 125g until they reach sexual maturity.

SA: This continent has the most peaceful cichlid. The list of peaceful cichlid is long. I have kept angel, discus, severum, geophagus, acara and so on.

 

[Bret Signorelli]

Guys are fascinated by aggressive cichlid and there are numerous threads on the subject. Let’s change the polling on which cichlid are least aggressive. Here is my take based on my personal experience. What is your experience?

Malawi: Yellow Lab and Pseudotropheus saulosi. These are dwarf MBUNA I have kept in group in my planted 75 gal with no significant fighting or casualty ever.

Tanganyikan: Frontosa and Lamprologus tretocephalus. I have kept a Single Frontosa in my planted 125g mixed cichlid community for 10 years and it has never bullied smaller tankmates. Front are typically kept in colony in bigger tank. I keep a colony of L. tretocephalus (aka mini Front)with my Front in my planted 75 gal and they get along and breed regularly.

Non rift lake African: My Kribensis colony breed regularly and self sustain a population in my planted 75g for years. Jewel cichlid are typically aggressive, but I am able to keep a breeding group of Hemichromis exsul in my planted 125g for years with no significant fighting.

CA: Rainbow cichlid is a dwarf CA I have kept peacefully long term in my 75g. Vieja synspillum and Jack Dampsey were peaceful and somewhat timid in my 125g until they reach sexual maturity.

SA: This continent has the most peaceful cichlid. The list of peaceful cichlid is long. I have kept angel, discus, severum, geophagus, acara and so on.

Angelfish

 

[Jexnell]

Amatitlania Nanolutae, very timid for the Convict family or cichlids in general.

Typically don't do good with any other cichlids.

 

[tiger15]

Amatitlania Nanolutae, very timid for the Convict family or cichlids in general.
View attachment 1550808
Typically don't do good with any other cichlids.

Agree. It’s the smallest, brightest, and least aggressive convict size CA (SaJica, paramensis, rainbow) I’ve kept except when breeding. It’s defensive aggression to fulfill parental duty to protect fry, not offensive aggression to pick fight. Here is my old pair breeding.

 

[Hybridfish7]

Amatitlania Nanolutae, very timid for the Convict family or cichlids in general.
View attachment 1550808
Typically don't do good with any other cichlids.

Agree. It’s the smallest, brightest, and least aggressive convict size CA (SaJica, paramensis, rainbow) I’ve kept except when breeding. It’s defensive aggression to fulfill parental duty to protect fry, not offensive aggression to pick fight. Here is my old pair breeding.

I wouldn't call them peaceful. Mine threw all of the livebearers out of the tank when they had fry. Female of the pair I gave my cousin ended up killing the male and then 3 hoplos. I would also not call them the smallest, as my male was a little over 5", and I've heard of 6" ones from Kevin at TUIC. Rainbows hit about the same size, panamensis can hit about 8", and sajica (as Duane may chime in to attest to) can get around 10". Funny enough from what I've found, legit type locality convicts (including HRPs) are technically the smallest, given I've never heard of them getting bigger than 5". Nanolutea just can't hold their own against other cichlids too well... At least in smaller tanks. They are found alongside two other Amatitlania species, as well as (allegedly) 3 species of Cribroheros + Herotilapia in the wild for reference.
Angels are also far from peaceful, but I will let others give their experiences on that.
In terms of actual peaceful cichlids, (my Google Keep notes ate my list so I don't have the exact list) but I personally would say:
Anomalochromis thomasi
Mikrogeophagus altispinosus/maculicauda
Biotodoma sp.
Smaller Laetacara sp. like dorsiger
Pelvicachromis sp.
Herotilapia are a close honorable mention for me, but I have heard some horror stories about them.
Discus, Uaru, chocolates (from what I've heard) and angels are peaceful for the most part but will still try to eat smaller fish.
My list consists of species I have heard nothing bad about.

 

[tiger15]

This thread is about the least aggressive cichlid. There are no truly peaceful cichlid as they all defend territory during spawning and protect young. But there are different levels of aggression. The most aggressive cichlid will take fight against other fish at all time, even against bigger fish. Less aggressive cichlid will fight with its own kind occasionally and always during spawning. Least aggressive cichlid will fight to defend territory only during spawning period. When a cichlid eat smaller fish, it is not aggression but predatory. Tank size affects aggression. Some peaceful juvenile cicllid turn aggressive when they out grow their tank. On the other hand , some notoriously aggressive tankbusters turn mallow when housed in a huge tank.

I didnt say Nanolutae is the smallest convict, just the smallest among the few I have kept. Convict is a common name for dwarf CA. But size is relative as I’ve seen some old male black convict developed big hump and reach 8 inch, not dwarf relative to MBUNA.

 

[Milingu]

Tanganyikan: Frontosa and Lamprologus tretocephalus. I have kept a Single Frontosa in my planted 125g mixed cichlid community for 10 years and it has never bullied smaller tankmates. Front are typically kept in colony in bigger tank. I keep a colony of L. tretocephalus (aka mini Front)with my Front in my planted 75 gal and they get along and breed regularly.

In my experience and many others I have spoken to, tretocephalus can be very aggressive. Although they are not, e.g. like most Aufwuchs feeders, constantly in attack mode, but once they get going there's no stopping them. Compared with other Lamprologini they are definitely on the aggressive side.
Yours probably seem to be less aggressive because you keep them overcrowded. They normally do not live in colonies and a 75ga is normally barely enough for an adult pair.


I agree with the Cyphotilapia. They are mellow for a cichlid.


Pseudotropheus sp. acai and P. elegans are less aggressive and less territorial than most other Mbuna.

 

[GLTigerfish29]

At the very least, an aggressive cichlid is like that one grumpy neighbor who watches everyone from their porch, waiting for someone to step on their lawn—except the “lawn” is the entire tank. Even if you drop food in, it’s like they think, “I don’t know what you are, but I hate you already!”

They also have zero chill. If another fish dares to swim within a mile of their favorite rock, it’s instant WWE mode. Meanwhile, the other fish are just trying to vibe like, “Bro, I was just passing through.”