1. Purchasing fish that feed off of algae is a good plan to take care of an algae problem in your aquarium. You could also try cutting back the amount of lighting in the aquarium or get an algae treatment chemical to take care of any algae problems.
2. You should always thoroughly research the type of aquarium you are going to be setting up before you purchase it. Make sure you have the proper gallon capacity and shape that will fit in your home.
3. Cichlids tend to be very intelligent fish. You should do your best to interact with them as some species will respond positively to you arriving home. These fish are very active and if you interact with them, they can develop much better.