Looking for a mid-sized relatively peaceful cichlid

[Plec123]

I'm planning on upgrading to a 75 gallon tank in the near future and am thinking of doing a planted setup with some driftwood decor. I've had some experience with cichlids in the past (a severum and a vieja on separate occasions) and both really loved uprooting my plants after they hit about 4"-5".
The 75 would house a black ghost knife and a couple mid size plecos. Are there any cichlid options that reach around 7"-8" and won't bother the BGK or plants?

 

[Chefken]

Upgrade to a 120 and get a nice male Chocolate Cichlid. i love mine....mine spawn so they uproot stuff only when digging a nest. They are gorgeous, uncommon but not expensive! Smaller mouths then most. Play well with others. FYI the BGK will outgrow a 75.....

 

[Plec123]

Upgrade to a 120 and get a nice male Chocolate Cichlid. i love mine....mine spawn so they uproot stuff only when digging a nest. They are gorgeous, uncommon but not expensive! Smaller mouths then most. Play well with others. FYI the BGK will outgrow a 75.....

I was thinking about getting a 120 but I'm in an apartment and feel like a 75 is the biggest I could go for now. I know the BGK will get too big for a 75 eventually though, I'll likely upgrade again once i'm more settled in a home in the next couple of years.
Chocolate cichlids are cool though... I'll keep those in mind if I can figure out when it's appropriate to break the 100 gallon mark haha

 

[duanes]

There are almost too many to name, especially from South America, and some from Central America.
Assuming your Plecos and Knife are S American(although there are both Plecos and Knifes from Central).
I have had a successful run in my planted tank with the Panamanian GT, Andinoacara coeruleopunctus, although any of the smaller Andinoacara from S America would probably work.

they are housed with a few Tetras and even guppy sized mosquito fish.
I have also found Guianacaras to be fairly benign with non cichlid species, and not bothering plants.

They also seem to ignore other non-Geophagine looking cichlids, but then again there are hundreds more from S America. genera like Nannacara, Acaronia, and Cleithracara would also work well.
From Central America, Amatitlania nanoluteus is peaceful, beautiful and doesn't bother plants

Fewer choices from CA though.

 

[Plec123]

Thanks for that! I'll do some research on each genus you mentioned, thats a lot to go off of.

 

[Kvandy]

Electric blue acara are pretty, very active, and available pretty much every where. Great fish for a 75 gallon.

 

[kno4te]

Maybe keyhole cichlids would be a consideration.

 

[jonclark96]

I have always thought that centrarchus were an under-rated species. They max out at 6"-7" in size and are on the low end of the aggression scale.

 

[RyanM]

Oscura Heterospila....MIGHT eventually get a little too big fora 75g, but they grow pretty slow. Beautiful and pretty much ignore other fish large or small in my experience.