Hi I am looking into getting a 150Gallon tank for the living room. I have a 54G community corner tank now and want to do something totally different.

I am thinking of doing a Mbuna style set up (large dark rocks, sandy bottom, no plants) because i like the look of it. I am not necessarily 'married' to mbuna cichlids but naturally want to get a group of fish that can live together and be happy in this environment. I have enough experience to build the tank and get/keep it healthy, but i don't have a lot of experience with Cichlids or which ones i can keep together. I would prefer larger, intelligent, more aggressive, beautiful looking fish in my tank.

It will be a while before I'll have fish in the new tank (which i still need to buy ).. I am planning on building my own cabinet, wet/dry filter out of a 55Gal tank and hood with light. Clearly i have a long way to go, but that's fine i like having projects!

Any thoughts/ideas/advises??

aviod the kenyis,and all melanocromis like the auratus,mainganos . or any very agressive mbunas. this way you can mix mbunas with malawi peacock and haps peacock.I alsow have a burundi frontosa and convict cichlid with my mbunas and peacocks.and one jewel cichlid.rober nose pleco.3 large tiger barbs.3 rainbow sharks.total 37 fish in my 6 foot 125 gallons. filters (2 rena xp3 )(2 emperors 400) (1penguin 4400 power head)(1- 40 gallon sump 600gph) you need 10x filtration for these large cichlids. good luck.