Just cichlids alone in a tank, with no space to set up a territory, and the fish won't claim any part of the tank as their own - they will all get along peacefully. Of course, Wayne points out that cichlids will be cichlids. One reason these fish are so popular is their penchant for breeding readily in captivity. Most cichlids are ready spawners, with South and Central American cichlids being primarily substrate spawners. Telling males from females can be a challenge.
Many species are dimorphic - the sexes look different.
Wayne Leibel's informative and entertaining presentation at this point became a veritable blitz of cichlid slides - covering the best and brightest of South American and then Central American cichlids, too numerous and varied to mention. He was very well received by the club and numerous guests, as evidenced afterwards when Wayne signed a complete half-case of copies of his recent Tetra Press book, A Fishkeeper's Guide to South American Cichlids . It was an interesting and entertaining night, and I highly recommend Wayne Leibel's presentation to anyone if he offers it again. Copyright 1996 by Jay Exner.