remembering again, why I gave up ( for the most part ) on South American cichlids...

[Magnum Man]

well, at least for now, in the ever changing cichlid drama, this appears to be working now...

momma still gives up chase, but when both smaller ones get along, which they seem to be when they are in same tank / section as big momma, she can't chase both, if they go separate directions, so most are half hearted attempts at a chase...

I'm sure as the 2 smaller ones mature, there will be a point that one fish has to go, but if I end up with a mating pair, that was the goal... the tank is just not as peaceful and relaxing to watch as my tetra tank... cichlid drama

 

[Magnum Man]

a picture of cichlid harmony... of coarse 1 minute later and it could be world war 3...

 

[OldFishKeeper]

I have been this route, when I had fish before...
back story...
I still had a yellow acara, from a failed mixed cichlid tank, from a couple years ago... it was a survivor, as it had to get separated to begin with, as it terrorized everyone, even as a Juvenal fish... eventually, after it's stint in a temporary 10 gallon, it got a 30 gallon tank, it shared with a silver dollar, which it treated like a dither fish... then one day it laid a big clutch of eggs, so in my mind ( I was weak ) and thought I should get her a male... it took a while, before I was able to find them again...

I bought 2, in hopes of getting a male, but they came in at half the females size, and aren't sexable yet... well she kept the 2 new fish, hiding behind the filter... so, out came the tank divider...

now those 2 smaller fish chase around all the time, and the dominant one keeps the other hiding behind the filter... if I'm going to keep them, looks like I'll need to remove all the hard scape, and add another tank divider... I had to do this with several fish in my previous keeping of fish and eventually I ended up with like 20, 10 gallon aquariums... I swore back then, I wouldn't go through that again... I think I'm swearing off cichlids again...

I did the same thing with Angel Fish and then Discus before giving up on larger cichlids. Now I have several dividers I don't plan on using again! Fortunately, I already had a couple of 20g High tanks from my old Discus keeping days. Back then, I only bought guaranteed breeding pairs.

Breeding pairs were more costly but now, if you have to pay for 6 juveniles, next day shipping, new tanks, then dividers and go through all the hassle, who knows? Back then I had more money to spare and my supplier was local.

I still like keeping cichlids with strong parental characteristics but am concentrating on the dwarf varieties like L. dorsigera, the Red Breast Acara. Put six juveniles in a 75 g, well planted tank and let them sort themselves out! Those that pair off get their own 20g Long with dither fish. Those that don't get new homes.