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I've got some experience with African Cichlids, but my knowledge has its limits - mainly when it comes to their specific origins and compatibility with my existing fish. It's frustrating when I'm at a pet store and they just label them as "Assorted African Cichlids". So, my question is this: is my current stock compatible? If not, who should I remove to keep the peace?

My current stock consists of:
1 Demasoni Cichlid
2 Firtideflow Peacocks
2 Electric yellows
3 OB peacocks
2 borleyi
2 aratus
8 socolofi
1 albino socolofi
2 giraffe cichlids

They're all under an inch for now, but I want to make sure everything works out before they start growing.

To be honest, I'm a bit concerned about the compatibility of your stock. Before we dive into that, I have to ask, what's the tank size you're working with? Also, I noticed you didn't mention the auratus, but since you have other peacocks and cichlids, I have to warn you that the auratus is known to be very aggressive, so if you do plan on introducing one, you'll need to be careful.

terrac wrote: ↑Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:33 pm To be honest, I'm a bit concerned about the compatibility of your stock. Before we dive into that, I have to ask, what's the tank size you're working with? Also, I noticed you didn't mention the auratus, but since you have other peacocks and cichlids, I have to warn you that the auratus is known to be very aggressive, so if you do plan on introducing one, you'll need to be careful.

Right now, I've got a 55-gallon tank, but like I mentioned, they're all still pretty small. I'm not too concerned about space just yet, but in about six months, I'm planning to upgrade to a 125- or 150-gallon tank. I've already noticed the borleyi being a bit aggressive, so I was thinking of rehoming them at the LFS.

In my experience, most malawis tend to thrive when they're in groups of their own kind. It might be worth considering keeping just your favorites and rehoming the rest, then adding more to create a more substantial group of each species.

terrac wrote: ↑Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:33 pm To be honest, I'm a bit concerned about the compatibility of your stock. Before we dive into that, I have to ask, what's the tank size you're working with? Also, I noticed you didn't mention the auratus, but since you have other peacocks and cichlids, I have to warn you that the auratus is known to be very aggressive, so if you do plan on introducing one, you'll need to be careful.

If I got rid of a few and upgraded to a bigger tank like I was planning, and then added more of each species, would that work out? I'm thinking that might be the way to go. The aratus is definitely on my list to rehome, but are there any other fish in there that might be aggressive? I know socolofi can be a bit feisty, but the ones I have now are actually really calm - I got them from a personal seller and they're not aggressive like some others I've had in the past.

Demasonis are notorious for their aggression, often earning them a spot in species-only tanks to avoid conflicts with other fish.

terrac wrote: ↑Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:33 pm To be honest, I'm a bit concerned about the compatibility of your stock. Before we dive into that, I have to ask, what's the tank size you're working with? Also, I noticed you didn't mention the auratus, but since you have other peacocks and cichlids, I have to warn you that the auratus is known to be very aggressive, so if you do plan on introducing one, you'll need to be careful.

I've got a Demasoni and I've noticed it can get pretty aggressive at times, so I'm concerned it might get worse as the others grow. I've heard that with a larger school, aggression can be diluted since the dominant fish will get "lost" in the crowd, chasing multiple targets instead of just a few.

I'm familiar with the aggression of Malawis, and Demasonis take it to the next level. With just one, you're likely to see problems. They're best in groups of 12, with a male to female ratio of 1:2.

If you want a peaceful tank with minimal issues, I'd recommend keeping the socolofi, peacocks, and labs. I'm biased towards the socolofi, having had one before - they're truly great fish.

terrac wrote: ↑Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:33 pm To be honest, I'm a bit concerned about the compatibility of your stock. Before we dive into that, I have to ask, what's the tank size you're working with? Also, I noticed you didn't mention the auratus, but since you have other peacocks and cichlids, I have to warn you that the auratus is known to be very aggressive, so if you do plan on introducing one, you'll need to be careful.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I'll be rehoming the aratus and the demasoni, then I'll add more of the other species I've already got to make some groups.

If you ever set up another malawi tank, consider a species-only Demasoni setup - the right decor can make them look incredible, white sand and white rock would be a great combo. I'm not against Demasonis, just not in a community tank. Would love to see pics of your fishies, malawis are amazing.