Sand in cichlid tank?

Question
I just started collecting cichlids as my new fish. I have kept a tank for over 10 years, and am taking in some neolamporlougus Sp? and brichridi, and others of the Tanganyika side. I have read alot about how sand is best for MOST cichlids. Right now I have medium sized rock, lots of caves(holey rocks) and two filters. One being an emperor 400 and the other a old whisper 3. My tank is a 45 gallon also. Im interested to know if i should switch to sand? Or if it is necessary? Also, i would imagine i would have to remove all the fish to do so? which sucks! So should i switch to sand, do I have the right filtration, and how does it work then?

Answer
hi lauren.....

i use natural colored aquarium gravel in my cichlid tanks as it doesn't mess up the canister filters i use.  it is important to remember to use double the reccommend filteration on a cichlid tank and use care with mixing cichlids as they can be very aggressive.

hope my advice helps

good luck

timm