The Tank
It's always best to try and get the biggest tank your home can accomodate and your buget will allow. An initial blow out may seem a great expense but save you money in the long run. Some Malawi Cichlids can grow quite large and if you want a really dazzling display tank with several types they are going to need a good volume of water, this in turn makes it easier to maintain stable water conditions and gives you plenty of room for aqua-scaping.
Here we are applying the Juwel 3D background, positioning the tank, preparing the substrate and positioning the rocks. The tank was cycled with Platy from a community tank. You will see that the tank is constantly evolving, and we are learning as we go along. It's look has changed several times.
Lake Malawi has areas of sandy bed which the fish like to sift through and areas of rock which provide hiding places. If this is reflected in some way within your tank the fish will be happy to display their interesting behaviour. I decided to go with Black tahitian Moon sand as I feel this helps to highlight the fish's striking colours. 
Rockwork is perhaps the most important element of the tanks decor. Plenty of rocks provide caves and territories that allow the fish to exhibit normal behaviour. My fish tend to sleep in their own cave at night, and in times of aggression, smaller fish have somewhere to hide. These photos show the original tank setup with Cotswold Paddle Stone from a local landscapers and Cornish beach pebbles, I finally settled with Lava rock which can easily be stacked. It's rough edges help the rocks to 'lock' together to form a steady wall.
Plants are not necessary in a Malawi setup but to add them is a matter of personal preference. Here you can see just how much algae has grown on the rocks. The Mbuna eat both green and brown. It provides them with the opportunity to display natural behaviour as they graze for many hours of the day.
My tank houses 33 fish. This is controlled crowding which helps to keep aggression down. There are too many fish for just one to claim a large territory and when one fish decides to get the hump, no one fish gets all his attention. With so many messy fish(these guys eat a lot and **** alot!), over filtration is recommended. I currently have the Juwel internal filter plus a Fluvol 304 external filter, but I plan on adding to this.
My fish are fed twice a day. They receive a mixed diet which occasionally includes Mysis, Tubifix, frozen Cichlid Mix, Tetra Pro Colour, Tetra Veg, Tetra Crisps, cucumber, peas and algae wafers. Their staple however is New Life Spectrum Cichlid food. They appear permanently hungry so I have to resist the urge to feed them every time I pass the tank. Several will feed from my hand. These fish are not always guaranteed constant food in the wild and it's a good idea to withhold food one day a week. Responding to their every whim will rapidly lead to an overloaded aquarium! Find the right feeding regeme for your fish and you won't get over weight Mbuna!
Another look during the evolution of the tank. None of the fish are fully grown. When they are some may need to be moved. With Mbuna it's a matter of seeing how the fish get on on a daily basis. Mbuna are aggressive fish, at worst they will kill each other, at best, they will give you hours of entertainment and interest. It's their behaviour along with their stunning appearance that makes them such a joy to keep.
I only keep a small number of the less aggressive species, but there are hundreds of others, and thousands of combinations to make a dream setup for you.
