Keeping Africans in a 45g?

[japaka]

Shell dwellers or yellow labs would be my suggestion.

 

[BassetsForBrown]

16" wide will suffice.

Saulosi would work and you could stock them pretty heavily, maybe 3m9f. Stuff like Rusty's, labs, and some cynotilapia could work but only work in a smaller group, 1m/5-6f.

One in particular I'd love to have is a Cobalt Zebra. It's a Malawi Mbuna like you mentioned. Do you think that's safe possibility?

 

[james99]

Zebras are usually more aggressive and work better in larger tanks.

 

[markstrimaran]

Yellow tail Acei, are blue with yellow edged fins, they are generally nice.

I have some solid blue hybrids, from a acei and a dragons blood, that have never fought, even with 6 males in a coed tank.
The girls are pinks, the blues are all boys. They have all been together since they hatched. Almost a year old. So I might have to evacuate soon.

Dragons bloods are generally mean.

 

[james99]

The acei get pretty large, most people would consider them too larger for a 36" tank. I have one pushing 6" and the link below has them even larger.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=437657

 

[Wolf1781]

Start them off in the 45 gal. It's addicting, so your gonna get a bigger tank anyway

 

[Max L]

You’ll be fine. I have a 55 gallon mixed mbuna tank that’s been going for a year and a half now. I’ve got around 20 in there and all is well. It’s ok to be a little generous with the stocking of mbunas because larger numbers reduce aggression, and they’re really hardy fish too.

 

[Gourami Swami]

It is do-able, just pick peaceful species and shoot for a single male with females, as mentioned. Also, make sure you have lots of rock caves.
Years back I kept a 30 gallon (also a 36" tank) with some mixed Africans. It worked for a long time, but I had to remove a bunch of fish as they got too crazy. I was left with the labidochromis "perlmutt"s and some yellow labs, and a couple stragglers, who were not too aggressive. Had to move the peacocks to a bigger tank.