Who Gives A Fish Forums

For a book that's got nearly all cichlids in picture form, both males and females, I'd say go for Malawi Cichlids in their Natural Habitat, New 4th Edition. It's a great identification guide but keep in mind it's a bit light on info.

On the other hand, Back to Nature: Malawi Cichlids by Ad Konings ...

Just wanted to get your thoughts on this. Planning on using ocean rock in the tank, might add a bit of crushed coral flake but not too much. No intention of messing with buffers, but I'll add cichlid lake salt and trace elements if needed.

It's not going to be a problem.
Ocean Rock and Coflake Sand are only going to help buffer your pH, they won't actually cause it to rise.
You're in the clear as far as that's concerned, your pH should stay within a safe range for your Lake Malawi cichlids.