I'm not saying you should go through with it if the consensus is that its a bad idea, because I don't know as much as Bass about it, but IF you do add bettas to your tank, even if its just one, put the other fish in first, then wait a few days and add your betta(s). If you put the betta in first they'll establish their territory, then any fish you add after will be a threat to them. When I had my two bettas in my divided 10 gallon I had to hold a pleco for a friend of mine so I put it in my betta tank over night so it wouldn't fight with my pleco in my community tank. Both the bettas went after him because he was in their territory. When one betta died and I was able to move the surviving one into the community tank, she had no problems with my pleco since he was there first and she didn't see him as a threat to her, nor did she have any problems with any of the other fish since they were there first.
EDIT:
This certainly isn't a way to trick cichlids though. I've never kept them myself, but I do agree that it just seems like a bad idea to put an aggressive species with a betta.
Also, nice looking tank. Is it new?