What type and size of cichlids. With larger, more aggressive cichlids they tend to hide alot when lights are on. If too small they can end up as an attempted meal, possibly ending in loss of both. They also prefer to school. Any food that fits in their mouth is fine but they can go nuts for meaty type foods such as bloodworms.
Mine eats everything I throw in there.. always looks like a Fat Kid at McDonalds... MY Clown loaches seemed to have shown them that snail eggs are good and he will goarge himself on those when they are available
I don't throw anything in the tank for them as they always steal everything from everyone else in the tank
I have him housed with a male JD 3", male Convict 2", and Firemouth 2" but he dose just hide in his cave all day but he dsoe come out to eat he likes bloodworms put he mostly gets waffers.