Rank these cichlids on an aggression scale

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Most of what you chose are pretty mellow with the exception of the jd, texas, and synspilus...especially the last two can get pretty nasty. JD’s are a toss up. Oscars are somewhere in between but I wouldn’t keep them as they are way too messy. duanes duanes suggestion of acaras is a good one. The electric blue acara look as nice as EBJD but their termperaments are far more predictable than JD’s. Acaras are pretty chill but can hold their ground
 
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Electric blue Acaras are very nice indeed. Mine live with angelfish and cory cats with no problems and don't pick on them. I have also kept them with cichlids that are somewhat more aggressive than they are and they proved that they could pick their seat at the bar.

I wouldn't keep them with very aggressive species or with very large species like Oscars. The electric blues only get about 4 inches long.

Full disclosure: I did get one that was crazy. He went through the tank on a murdering spree. But out of many that I've kept he was the only one that was truly aggressive. There was something wrong with him.
 
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Serpentine said:
Electric blue Acaras are very nice indeed. Mine live with angelfish and cory cats with no problems and don't pick on them. I have also kept them with cichlids that are somewhat more aggressive than they are and they proved that they could pick their seat at the bar.

I wouldn't keep them with very aggressive species or with very large species like Oscars. The electric blues only get about 4 inches long.

Full disclosure: I did get one that was crazy. He went through the tank on a murdering spree. But out of many that I've kept he was the only one that was truly aggressive. There was something wrong with him.
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Are electric blue acaras deep-bodied enough so that a large clown knife or large endlicheri bichir would not try and swallow it?
 
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TheEelKing said:
Are electric blue acaras deep-bodied enough so that a large clown knife or large endlicheri bichir would not try and swallow it?
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Hmm. That's iffy. They are fairly thick-bodied but I am not sure I'd risk them with any fish that's got a really big mouth.

A regular blue Acara, no problem. The electric blues are flashier and very mellow but they are markedly smaller.

ETA: I just took a good look at my biggest EBA and he's 4 inches long, about 2 inches tall and an inch thick.
 
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twentyleagues said:
:iagree:
My experiences are about the same. But my Oscars have all been cool with others unless of coarse it fit in their mouths. But not all my Oscars were Oscar friendly. Also seems as they are in the 3 to 6" range they are most aggressive. Once bigger they know who's in charge and as long as not attacked or stood up to its usually pretty mellow. But they all have dirrerent personalities.
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Good grief, this is exactly what's happening in my tank...my Parrot (Boss) and Oscar (Brick) square off constantly to prove who's tougher...pushing, shoving and banging. My O is at the 6+ inch size and thick, the parrot a bulky 5". Hoping its a phase my O outgrows, putting in my biggest male parrot (Kong) in there instead would be chaos. It's been musical chairs since I got extra tanks. The female Parrot Patch stays alone since she lays eggs and has teeth and attitude (also huge).

Oddly enough they fight the most when I'm in front of the tank???? Go figure.

I need a cichlid dictionary. But what it looks like to me is that now the O is growing he's testing out taking over the tank. But the parrot is like ++++ that...parrots definitely show their 'devil' characteristics when big, even the shy ones. Boss is my most mellow Parrot and he's a punk at times, charging into a fight. Good thing they don't have the fangs devils have.
 
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FINWIN said:
Good grief, this is exactly what's happening in my tank...my Parrot (Boss) and Oscar (Brick) square off constantly to prove who's tougher...pushing, shoving and banging. My O is at the 6+ inch size and thick, the parrot a bulky 5". Hoping its a phase my O outgrows, putting in my biggest male parrot (Kong) in there instead would be chaos. It's been musical chairs since I got extra tanks. The female Parrot Patch stays alone since she lays eggs and has teeth and attitude (also huge).

Oddly enough they fight the most when I'm in front of the tank???? Go figure.

I need a cichlid dictionary. But what it looks like to me is that now the O is growing he's testing out taking over the tank. But the parrot is like ++++ that...parrots definitely show their 'devil' characteristics when big, even the shy ones. Boss is my most mellow Parrot and he's a punk at times, charging into a fight. Good thing they don't have the fangs devils have.
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When my fish haven't been fed and I sit and watch the tank they tend to be a little on edge and aggressive. When fed it's back to normal. Oscars and P bass. The silver dollars are always all over the place. Sometimes their scales go flying when P bass and Oscars are waiting to be fed.
 
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