Ha ha,
I know the original poster may not find it funny but those instructions are spot on for a Malawi tank!
Obviously make sure you do the vinegar test on your rocks before placement and maybe a nice piece of Manzanita drift wood or similar would look cool! So Basically Sand - Rocks - Bit of drift wood to break it up a bit and Bob's your uncle!
There is no real guide to aquascaping as it is all personal preference. Do some research on Lake Malawi.
You don't need to do the "vinegar test" on rocks for Lake Malawi tanks as it's generally desirable to have a higher Ph/Kh. Drift wood can lower your levels however, so large amounts of it are undesirable.
Actually - dont' forget Egg Crate then add rock then add gravel.
That's really personal preference, I've never used eggcrate in my tanks and have had hundreds of pounds of rock with no problems (had over 200lbs of rock in a 75gal). That said, somepeople do swear by it.
Johnross:
There really are no pictorial guides to mbuna tanks. But this is what I like to do:
1) Get lots of rocks, it you think you have enough, grab some more. I like to look for those with interesting shapes that still have enough flat area for easy stacking, you'll also want to get all different sizes.
2) Wash all the rocks, use a new (or tank only) bristle brush to get out all the dirt.
3) Mark out the dimensions of your tank on the floor or a table (I like to use a towel) then work on different rock layouts, I try for something that looks like a natural jumble of rocks which is much harder to achieve than it sounds. I think this is easier than doing it all inside the tank as it makes you stack without using the tank as support (which should be avoided as it puts uncessary pressure on the glass) and if something slips off you don't have to worry about cracking the tank. Besides, I have short arms and it's easier than hanging over the tank.
4) Once I'm happy with my layout, I take several pictures to ensure I can put it back together again.
5) Add eggcrate to the bottom of your tank if you're using it. Next add your rocks. Step back and decide if you like how it looks, then rearrange if necessary.
6) Add sand around the rocks. You always want to add your rocks before adding sand as mbuna love to dig and will collapse any structures not directly on the bottom (or the eggcrate). The nice thing about that is that you don't have to use as much sand which saves money if you're using the expensive stuff.
7) Add any plants or other decor and then filters/heater and water.
