How to start an aquarium

[laryenhilllvr]

hi, i own two female bettas, and i'm interested in getting them a larger tank, but i would like to know what things should i put in it, what size should i get (that i could possibly add more fish to), what type plants i should get (real vs. fake, ect. ect.), what are good tanks and what type of fish are good tankmates and what are their requirements. pretty much i need any information pertaining to tanks or bowls i can get.

 

[Alien Anna]

Hi,
first thing to do is learn about cycling, because it is the most important thing you need to know, even more important that what type of tank and what type of filter etc. So follow the link in my sig and read up on it.

What sort of tank you get and what sort of filter is largely a matter of personal taste. I wouldn't recommend under-gravel filters personally and external filters are often far too expensive. A good compromise would probably be an internal canister filter or, if you can get it, an external "hang-on-the-tank" filter.

 

[guppymonkey]

As useful as this site is in learning about aquariums and how to keep the fish alive in them I would suggest checking out some up to date books. Even if some of these books are not quite correct about certain things (like suggesting undergravel filters for beginners) they can give you some ideas that are more organized then the random ideas of some people that post here. Many people forget what it was like to set up a new aquarium and that can lead to forgetting stages needed or questions asked. When I decided to set up my tank I got a few books from the library and bought a couple and then checked on here to see how things measured up. Its really all about comparison shopping.