Originally Posted by ljnlaw

Not to be a downer but I wouldn't start off with salt, try some freshwater African Cichlids (from Lakes Malawi, Tanganyika, and Victoria). There is a wide variety of colorful fish and they are much easier to care for and less expensive for beginners. Most people who start with salt tanks spend crazy $$ only to have all of their fish die within the first few months. Once you get into a routine and enjoy caring for the fish then I would suggest switching to salt. I had Cichlids for years and loved them. Jst my 2 cents.

Check them out here: http://www.cichlids.com/