Dom,
Are you looking at South Americans or Malawian Haps? 'coz u mentioned that u watched some documentary depicting South America and Africa. In any case with driftwoods within, it would compliment a South American tank rather than a Malawian Hap tank. Not that its impossible to mess with water parameters of a Hap tank with treated driftwood, just that it looks kinda out of place.
Well in any community of cichlids there aren't guarantees 'coz in a way fishes themselves are individuals and if some decide to take a chomp out of the other there's not much we can do about it. On a general standpoint if you are going South American I'd suggest a few:-
Mid Size
1) Geophagines - Sand sifters... Available and rather cheap ones include :-
Surinamensis, Balzani, Steindachneri, Jurupari. Other exotic ones would be Geophagus Labiatus, Geophagus Meridionalsis, Geophagus sp Red Head Tapajos. Acarichthys Heckelli is also cool and often overlooked in the hobby. Its a close relative to Geophagine species. Cheap like chips in the hobby, just that no one appreciates them for their drab colors when they are small... the large adults are really impressive.
http://www.tangledupincichlids.com/images/g.labiat.jpg
2) Heros species - Your everyday Green/Gold Severums. More exotic ones include Heros Efasciatus, Heros Rotkeil
http://www.tangledupincichlids.com/images/efasc3.jpg
http://www.tangledupincichlids.com/images/rotkeil7.jpg
Large
3) Uarus - Uaru Amphiacanthoides...... cheap like chips too..... large ones going for RM30 or so... very mild temperament cichlid but not showy in terms of coloration.See:
http://www.gcca.net/fom/Uaru_amphiacanthoides.htm
Uaru Fernendezpeyi - Rare and Cites control soon. Expensive. Prepared to pay a few hundred of mid size ones. They breed like Discus too with fries actually pecking off the slime off the body.
http://www.gcca.net/fom/Uaru_amphiacanthoides.htm
4) Crenicichla - Pikes - Rare in the hobby around here. Your everyday ones include Crenichla Saxatilis. Cool ones that might be available are Crenicichla sp Cobra.
http://www.cichlidnews.com/issues/20...images/37d.jpg
http://www.tangledupincichlids.com/images/cobrakp.jpg
5) Cichla. sps. - Peacock Bass - U can see how beautiful they get in Xian Lengs corridor of display. Cichla Temensis is nicer and looks damn cool.
http://www.goslinea.com/Gallerie/Cic...20temensis.htm
U could dwell in some plecos too if you dwell in South Americans.