Restless Wanderings

As Grace mentioned, go to a good fish store -- but even then, be skeptical of their advice, and do a lot of googling (where you will also find conflicting advice, but at least you get a better idea of all the things that might happen). For instance, when we bought a tire tread eel, they told us he'd get a foot long, maybe a foot and a half, but skinny. We now have a 2+ foot long water monster (*not* skinny!!) that only eats bloodworms, and eats about $2-3 of them *a day*. Or the tiny plecostamus we bought, he was just a cute little guy, no one bothered to mention to us, oh, by the way, you're going to need a bigger tank, because he's going to be as big as your arm in a year. We have a 60 gallon and are actively looking for something bigger.

All in all, fish-keeping is a wonderful hobby, and you will learn constantly.

I have an aquarium. Are you going to start with tropical fish or Koi?

Go to a good store that specializes in fish, not just somewhere like Wal-mart.

Some fish do not do well together, and can be more aggressive. So, you have to be careful of size, and temperment.

Others are more challenging for beginners. Generally fish like platys, guppies, swordfish, black mollies are the easiest to start with.

Fish are sensitive to ph, chlorine, and heavy metals in the water. So, the aquarium has to be prepared, the water treated, and running awhile before you get the fish.

Also, buy just a few fish at first. You have to establish the nitrogen cycle. This is super important.

Get a good book, and study beforehand.

You will love fish-keeping. It is tons of fun, and very interesting. I've had both temperate, and tropical fish, once even a marine aquarium which is even more interesting.

I would buy the biggest tank you can afford, and would fit well into your home, at least a twenty gallon.

Good luck! Keep us all posted of you aquatic adventures.