Which fish to go for?!

The Game

I have a 3ft tank that I would like to use for a certain type of fish. Problem is that I just don't know which type of fish I should go for. I may use a bigger tank but just for the sake of having a specific size I chose my 3ft. The fishes that I'm lookin at are:
Black Ghost Knife Fish
Lake Malawi Cichlids
Oscar Fish
Tandanus Catfish
I know that a 3ft tank will not be big enough for an Oscar but I just want to know which fish I should go with and then buy the tank accordingly and research accordingly too. The fish that you select is entirely based on your own opinion and what you prefer. The Lake Malawi Cichlids just means that I will set up a community tank for them. Please tell me which fish to pick, I really like all these fishes but I need a decision. Please vote :)
(I tried to put a poll in this but im not sure if it worked or how to do one)

Byron

To be honest, a 3-foot tank is not sufficient size for any of your suggestions. A rift lake cichlid aquascape might be feasible with the small species. You need to look at much larger tanks, 4-foot minimum, for these types of setups.

ElectricBlueJackDempsey

I would do the Lake Malawi Cichlids and choose some of the smaller specimens and use lots of rocks. For example, Texas Holy Rock, Slat Rock, and Lace Rock would be good. Make sure you pile the rocks up and try to form caves.

The Game

yea i just mentioned the 3-foot cause thats what i have now, i wanna get a bigger tank for those fishes, so just ignore the size for the moment

beachcire

I am a fan of the lake malawi mbuna cichlids myself. They are some of the most colorful freshwater fish you can get and their behaviors are second to none IMO.