60l = 15.9 US gallons, 13.2 Uk gallons.
the only cichlids they can get in there are shellies, rams or a single dwarf cichlid.
Rams are dwarf cichlids.
anything that gets over 4 inches cannot go in there. that wipes out most of the cichlid group. anything that gets bigger that 3 inches cannot be kept in there with a group of more than 4 before territory gets too small and the weaker get killed.
There are lots of cichlids that stay under 4 inches. Most are still unsuitable for a tank that size. Stocking guidelines for cichlids, even dwarfs, should take into consideration behavior, NOT size.
shellies (lamprologus occelatus) can go in there, a colony of 1m 3f and they would be ok.
There are lots of species of Tanganyikan shell dwellers. Ocellatus are aggressive for their size and I would not recommend them in less than a 20 gallon tank (speaking from experience here). Multifasciatus or brevis would be better options.
rams in a 1m 2f ratio (one gets removed when the others pair up) can go in there.
I definitely would not try a trio in a tank that size. A pair would be pushing it.
a single dwarf gourami can go in there.
1m 2f of apistos could go in there, but there will be bad bullying if the male is not peaceful. so not a very good idea.
It's the female that's going to kill off the odd female out once they pair. Males are rarely as aggressive as the females. I would not recommend a trio of any apistos in such a small tank.
cichlids need a much bigger tank, but have exquisite personalities and colours. if they want these fish that bad, they need to upgrade by at least 30 US gallons.
Which cichlids? African Rift Lake cichlids? Many cichlids can be kept in less than 40 gallons.
instead of cichlids, they could go with guppies and a bottom feeder, maybe a few cories. there are great colours there and cories are very cool.
to the friend: im very sorry we have to be so harsh and say a big no to the 12 you want, however it will kill, stunt, poison, isolate, confuse, disease and upset the fish. its fully true and a shame, but they will need a bigger tank. and frankly, someone who loves fish enough not to kill off theirs in favour of another lot. u can give the neons etc away, dont have to murder them!!
sorry x xx