"Russ" wrote in message
om...
My wife is wanting to get a south american cichlid from PetCo. They
are like $5.99 for the small ones.

We have never owned a fish, so we're trying to research as much as we
can online. Does anyone have any good recommendations for tank
decorations, size, gravel, additives, websites to order from, etc?

We have a 20 gallon tank and just purchased a pump/filter and vacuum.
We're planning on only having one cichlid for a long time, but if we
get another we will get a bigger tank. We're also planning on putting
an Algae eater in there with him of the same size. We figured we
might find all the other stuff online cheaper. Any good sites that
are cheap anyone can recommend?

Thanks!

If you have your heart set on the cichlid you saw at PetCo, I'd find out
it's Latin name and do as much research on it as possible. This being your
first tank, along with the research, you want to check out some of the
African Riverine species. A pair of Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher) or
Anomalochromis thomasi make excellent starter fish. They're not as sensitive
to the nitrate cycle as some other fish and can endure changes in pH better
than many fish.
Check out Dr Foster's and Smith's online, Petco online, Big Al's online for
equipment. For fish, it'll depend on the species you settle with.
Prior to deciding on any variety of fish, I'd get your water tested for pH
and general hardness. It's much easier to match the fish to your water
rather than mess with water quality.
Check out the articles at my site,
http://www.amateurcichlids.com/index.php as well as some of the species
profiles. Many are African cichlids but there's some others mixed in there.
You can also post questions at http://www.fishaholics.org and usually get
some quick responses.
Amateur