My favorite cichlids, divided into sections
South American: blue acaras, they are versatile in terms of what they can be stocked with.
CA: Salvini, their color and attitude are awesome. small enough to fit in smaller tanks
Malawi: eye biters, just based on their look.
Tanganyikan: leleupi
the rest: polleni, definitely my favorite species in general. I find mine to be the most interesting and personable fish