dwarf info

[kaianuanu]

are dwarf cichlids aggressive and carniverous like large ones?

[cocoa_pleco]

some like kribs and rams are peaceful

[Dave66]

All the dwarves of the Genus Apistogramma, Crenicara and Nannacara are gentle, and since they belong in a planted tank and are so secretive about breeding that they aren't even aggressive then. They top out at three inches. Others are Keyhole Cichlids (Cleithracara maronii) that are unusually mild for a four-inch cichlid. The little Laetacaras (curviceps, dorsigera and flavilabris) are quite hardy when given soft and slightly acid water, and are quite pretty fish when mature. Between three and four inches for them.
None of these are aggressive in the slightest, and won't bother any fish too large to eat (like all fishes).
Those are just some of the options for a group of dwarves in a planted tank. There are more, but these are what I can think of off the top of my head.
Rams are OK, but need higher temperatures (82-86) to thrive and breed. Kribs can be hard on smaller tankmates when they breed, and they batter neon-size fish to death.

Dave

[gem]

ditto what Dave said. And Kribs are not peaceful. Especially when spawning! Ask some of my fish that lost tails. LOL

[Fishalicious]

There are peaceful dwarfs but ALL cichlids are aggressive when spawning - your cute little dwarf can turn into a monster overnight with spawn ...

The most docile I have come across are the Apistogramma Borrelli & the Cacatouides. Rams, Bolivians and Moroni's are also very gentle. But again with spawn may show another side.

They hunt smaller fish (fry) just like most fish and you cannot keep shrimp with them..

[Dave66]

There are peaceful dwarfs but ALL cichlids are aggressive when spawning - your cute little dwarf can turn into a monster overnight with spawn ...

The most docile I have come across are the Apistogramma Borrelli & the Cacatouides. Rams, Bolivians and Moroni's are also very gentle. But again with spawn may show another side.

They hunt smaller fish (fry) just like most fish and you cannot keep shrimp with them..

When you say all Cichlids are aggressive when spawning, that's a generalization.
There are levels of aggression in cichlids of all sizes. Take Convicts for example at less than six inches. They are completely vicious when breeding, which they do constantly. Only one way for tankmates to go, and that's up and out.
I've kept all the dwarfs I mentioned in my 35 years in the hobby, and keep two colonies of Apistos now. In a decent-sized planted tank, say forty US gallons, neither you nor their tankmates will know they've bred 'til you see fry. My Apistos continually surprise me with half-grown new members.
There are levels of parental protection (aka aggression) in all Cichlids so a blanket statement lumping them all together is inaccurate. Convicts are terrors tank wide, Keyholes at roughly the same size are not. Their very close relative sajica will nip and pursue tankmates when breeding, which is why I didn't mention them as a small Cichlid possibility in my post.
The dwarves I mentioned to my experience are secretive about spawning and stay within the cloud of fry. The male will run at a not-too imposing tankmate if they get within five or six inches or so, but that's about it.
I wouldn't mention any species on AC that I haven't kept.

Dave

[Fishalicious]

I would not mention fish I had not kept either and I have kept and bred with dwarfcichlids for going on 10 years now. It seems we have very different experiences.. I always know 100% when one of my dwarfs have a nest as they will attack anything that goes near the brood. I have had corydoras with missing eyes and fish with torn fins from dwarfcichlids except those I mentioned who keep it to a flaring and a push & a shove.

The degrees of aggression vary but I stick to it that all cichlids are aggressive when spawning...

[Squidman]

They are not as carnivouris but some can be quite agressive ive heard.

[kaianuanu]

oh, more agressive is better

[miquel]

@ dave: Like you said there are degrees of agression. But let me say that in my breeding experience that with most apisto-species, you will know when they have eggs or young. I've had bitaeniata's for who a 130x45x50cm tank wasn't big enough when there were eggs (ask the 10 dead cardinals and scalares who were missing most of their caudal and anal fins in the eight hours I was at my work).

I currently have mendezi, agassizii tefe(wildcaught) and atahualpa (F1) and all the dithers can do is take refuge behind some structure where mom or dad wont see them, because if they don't they wil be punished. On the other hand I've got a couple of tucurui and they are quit peaceful, they will allow the dithers to come to approximately 5cm from the brood before mom will give them a push.

It is true that in general the tankbred (generation 10 and on) are a bit more laid back but that isn't allways true. I've had peaceful borelli opal and I've had true terrors too. The same I can say for the GBR the tankbred specimens I've bred where quit docille, but I currently have a wildcaught couple in the same tank set up and they constantly bully the dithers

also the nannacara species can be quit agressive, especially the females when in breeding.

so it's true what you say that there are degrees of agression but that is also true for all the mentioned families, as well for individual fish within a species.