# Low-aggression Cichlids?



## Gomba11 (Oct 14, 2010)

So after months of research and prep I am finally ready to head over to my LFS and pick up some african cichlids this weekend. I have decided that I want some yellow labs and some acei because of their beautiful colors and also because they tend to be less aggressive than other cichlids.

I assume this question has been asked a thousand times already, but *what are some other low-aggression cichlids that I could keep with the yellow labs and acei?* I don't want to end up buying a fish thats a total brute.

:fish:


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## toume (Oct 7, 2010)

You could get rusties (Iodotropheus sprengerae). And just a warning--yellow labs can be aggressive, just not as much as other af cichs (mine are almost as aggressive as the red zebra).


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

What is the size of your tank, and dimensions?


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## Gomba11 (Oct 14, 2010)

Fogelhund said:


> What is the size of your tank, and dimensions?


75 gallons (284 liters)
its 48 in x 18 in x 21 in

I only have about 5 caves in the tank but there are also (artificial) plants for them to hid behind

Also, the rusties are cute


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

With that size tank you can also add some male peacocks. Just avoid any who look similar to acei and labs. Some good options: ruby/German red, ngara flametail, albino eureka red, etc.


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## bookwyrm (Jul 13, 2006)

I have mainganos in a 75 with my yellow labs and acei. I want to add some rusties, but can never find any. I've heard mixed things about maingano aggression, but so far they are the least aggressive fish in the tank. None of my fish have exhibited aggression outside their species at this point, and even within their species it hasn't been anything more than a threatening fluff. I seriously considered going with male peacocks, but of course when I wanted to stock my tank my LFS hadn't had any decent peacocks for two months. I decide to go all mbuna and suddenly they get a bunch of great male peacocks in stock. Oh well.


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## Gomba11 (Oct 14, 2010)

Thanks everyone


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## torin32 (May 24, 2010)

Go with peacocks and haps. Peacocks are very easy going most of the time avoid mbuna they are a hit and miss with aggression. Even the more docile mbuna can still be nasty at times.


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## Gomba11 (Oct 14, 2010)

Thank you everyone


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## BoilerFan (Jun 20, 2010)

I keep Acei, Labs, and Mainganos together in a 46G tank with no trouble at all. I see the standard "back off!" and "I'm gonna get you!" kind of aggression, but nothing that lasts more than a couple seconds. The entire population has been living peacefully for almost 5 months.

As others have said, at 75 G and a 4ft footprint, you could put some peacocks in there as well. Any given one could be overly aggressive to another (peacock) though, but in my short experience they completely ignore the Labs in my 75 G tank.


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## toume (Oct 7, 2010)

Just to give a +1 for Mbuna--I like them because they're colorful, both males and females. Haps/Peacocks have drab females (though the males are often stellar!) and all of them will crossbreed. So if you wanted to raise fry...there would be a high chance for hybrids.

You have to be careful with Mbunas, but people on this forum can tell you which ones will crossbreed if you give them a stock list. And the aggression can be managed with careful stocking and an appropriate tank set-up.

But either would work. :thumb:


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