I haven't kept any of the larger african cichlid species but my SA's and dwarfs generally start breeding anywhere from 6 months to about 8 months. My blue acaras were just under 6 months while my kribs and rams have all been right around 6 months. Oscars generally take longer than that but they tend to form a very strong pair bond in most cases.
I think breeding age is also determined by nutrition - good food will lead to more growth in young cichlids and fry and thus potentially make your fish ready to breed at a younger age (you should check out some articles on conditioning for food recommendations).
|