Hi Jeditwin,
Welcome to CF!
The cichlid family includes an extremely wide variety of fish. There are species with a maximum length of just over 1", and species that easily reach 3'. Some are very territorial, and it's hard to keep a pair even in a 6' tank. Some are very peaceful and can breed in 30" tank together with common community fish. Some form pairs, and others live in harems were one male spawns with many females and/or one females spawns with many males. Some require hard, alkaline water, and others prefer it soft and acidic.
There is lots of info about cichlids in these forums and also in the
library section of this site. I suggest you do some reading, and see what size of tank you can afford - bigger will always give you more options - and what types of cichlids you find attractive. Once we have a little more info, I am sure we can help you set up a tank that you will enjoy!
You've already made the first step in the right direction by coming here and asking questions, rather than going out and buying fish that you don't know anything about, and might not be able to house adequately.
Greetings