What other fish are in the tank? Are they likely to be on the Cichlid's menu?
I have a 6 foot tank full of Live bearers, And I threw in 2 small ( about the size of a fully grown Platy ) Firemouth Cichlid's as fry population control. And they do a great job. I only say this because most Cichlid's will eat it if it fits in its mouth type of thing, Things like shrimp and fry make tasty snacks.