Try http://www.africancichlids.net
Carla told me about that site last night. I had fun playing with the puzzles Lots of pics there.
As for a themed tank, what about an Amazon rainforest stream? You would need soft water for this with a filter to provide good flow but not too much current.
Suitable plants would be cabomba, dwarf swords (Echinodorus tenellus) Amazon sword (E. paniculatus), hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis).
Suitable fish: bristlenose catfish (Ancistrus sp), emerald catfish (Brochis splendens), cardinal tetras, silver tipped tetras, rummy nosed tetras, bleeding heart tetras, neons, angels, hatchetfish, whiptail catfish, discus
South East Asia River:
Plants; red rotala, hairgrass, crypts, vallis and if you vcan find them - water shamrock (Marsilea crenata), Japanese cress (Cardamine lyrata), onion plant (Crinum thaianum)
Fish; kuhli loach, rosy barbs, striped barb, spanner barb, 5 banded barb, Siamese fighter, clown loaches, pearl danio, giant danio, red tailed black shark, harlequins, scissortails