I have 3 cichlids and lately when I come into my room to feed them I notice that my blue one will swim up to my red one and the red one will start to almost shake. It almost looks like it's having a seizure. They don't ever look like they're fighting, although I know that cichlids are aggressive and territorial. My yellow fish, which seems like the most aggressive and territorial one will sometimes dart after the red one and the blue one will get between them, like it's trying to defend the red one. I just don't understand what the weird shaking is all about.

If the one that shakes is of different sex he/she might be the protecting fishes mate and is nervous.

I'm trying to make sense of that though. The red one doesn't shake when the big scary one starts chasing after it, but when the blue one swims up to it all friendly- like.

Surprisingly the fish who is chased might be attracted to the fish who shakes if I was you Id even out the male female ratio

The fish that gets chased is the one that shakes. This is just confusing me more. Lol

The shaking sounds like a mating dance to me :)
Typical behavior for male cichlids when trying to entice a female.

It will be fine.

Thanks! I wasn't worried about them. I was just curious.

Do I have gay fish then if both of them are shaking at each other?