I was reading practical fishkeeping and saw an article on malawi cichlids in there. Though it was quite interesting. I've picked out wquite a few bits so here goes.
Malawi cichlids can be very hardy and very easy to keep. The main reason people are attracted to them is normally colour. Nearly every one is a rainbow colour, but the best specimens are bright yellow or bright blue.
Malawi cichlids are extremely tough fish, especially the rock-dwelling type(Mbuna). The Ph of their natural waters is said to be roughly 8.2, but anything for 7.5 to 9 will be fine for them. This makes them popular in the UK where most people have similar levels to that.
The average size for an adult is 10cm/4". Certain species will grow larger, and with an excellent diet may even outgrow their wild relatives. Normally the max size is 15cm/6".
If you wish to create a tank for Malawi cichlids you will need:
Substrate/GravelNot really a big deal, but the best choice are calcerous types of substrate(e.g. coral sand, aragonite sand) as they like hard water.
RocksRock choice is very wide. The natural Malawi rocks are cliff like, with many boulders scattered about. Any combination of rocks can be used, including slate, granite, sandstone and limestone.
PlantsNo plants are required to keep Malawi cichlids.
Thats about it really.
Thanks for reading