Help me choose a cichlid set-up

[Glank27]

Hi. I am new here and hope i'll get along with this forum as it sems very interesting and helpful.
I have just quit the planted tank route. The frequent pruning and dead leaves removal had bothered me, and hence opted for a non-planted set-up. In view of this, an african cichlid livestock seem to be the more appropriate for this kind of set-up.
My tank is a Juwel Rio240 (240ltr), 4ft long, internal Bioflow 3 filtration at 600l/hr. Rock 3d background and also a piece of moorwood will be used. Added to this will be real stones as the ideal habitat for african cichlids.
I intend to use also the wonderful Aquatic nature Dekoline "Ebony" gravel, which is black in colour and of 8mm size. This may sound a bit too large, but i believe it will be easier to vacuum without the material syphoning down.

However as i am about to deocrate the tank prior to filling, i would like some suggestions as to better choose the cichlid type. I was first tempted to try malawis, but many told me to beware as they are overly aggressive and will "ruin" a nice decorated tank. At the same time i was also suggested a Tanganyikan set-up as they are not much aggressive like Malawis, and they are very nice to look at. I have had a look on internet and i really like the tanganyikan cichlids. However, is my tank ideal for a Tanganyikan set-up? Can i include frontosas as well or the tank is too small for them?

I am open for suggestions as i have bought no fish so far, so i am still in time for any selection. I would like some "quite" non overly aggressive fish that allow a nice tank set-up and not end up like most malawi owners told me, with all the gravel pushed on one side and so on....

Sorry for being long, but i need some info on this. Thanks in advance

[SergeS]

Why would Malawi's "ruin" a decorated tank? Yes, they shovel sand around, but lots of cichlids do that. Agression? Yes, but again, almost all cichlids are agressive in some shape or form, especially when breeding. They protect their territorium, their offspring, or both. In the case of Malawi, it's mainly to protect a territorium as they are all mouthbrooders (done by the females) and they normally don't defend a single place as a territorium while breeding, only when laying eggs. The males may keep their territorium permanently, especially Mbuna.

Malawi cichlid have a bad name when it comes to agression. All too often this is due to the fact that people keep them with fish from other biotopes, and even within lake Malawi you cannot simply put everything in the same tank without considering behaviour or looking at possible tank mates. Example: Malawi 'Mbuna' cichlids and Angelfish do not go well together. Even apart from the different water parameters and feeding issues, Angelfish are very good parents in defending their eggs and youngsters, but they are still too docile to deal with the sometimes downright brute attacks from Malawi Mbuna. Other Malawi Mbuna however, know how to deal with such attacks, as they're used to it. They simply charge back, thus keeping the agression in balance.

Malawi cichlids also have a bad name when it comes to plants. In fact, there are only a few plant-eating species. This does not mean that your plants are safe from harm, as several species will try to eat them anyway. Valisneria or Anubias are usually good choices, although Anubias does not grow in lake Malawi. The fish don't care about that, but maybe you do

The tank you have is actually of a perfect size to keep 3-4 species of Mbuna, with 1 Male and at least 2, pref. more, females. A single species in a large group is also an option.

In terms of decoration, a thick layer of sand and lots of rocks will do the trick nicely Just remember to put the rocks in first (pref. on a plate of polystyrene or some other kind of protection), and then the sand. That way, the fish cannot dig under the rocks. If they can dig under the rocks, a pile of rocks could tip over and fall, and I'm pretty sure you don't want that to hit your glass bottom
But then again, you have plenty of other options. Tanganyika is perfectly fine too , but I just don't know enough to help you with that