snails in an african cichlid tank?

Which cichlids do you have? Lake Tanganyika or Lake Malawi? You'll have better chances keeping snails with the Lake Tanganyikans. Malaysian trumpet snails are your best bet and their burrowing habit is a bonus preventing anaerobic pockets. No other snails can easily last long enough with those cichlids.
 
Malawi's will most likely kill it. They are just too fiesty. Won't hurt to try it if you have a backup tank to put them in.
 
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