This comment was posted to reddit on Mar 13, 2021 at 5:35 pm and was deleted within 1 day, 9 hour(s) and 18 minutes.
Beginner Fish and Where to buy.
Tank: your best bet is a robust all-in-one aquarium like a 9 gallon Fluval Flex or 5 gallon Fluval Spec. Those tanks come with very capable (and quiet, unlike loud air pumps) filtration systems (cleaner water, less maintenance in the long run, healthier fish) and very good lighting. They are also very attractive looking tanks.
Gravel: avoid painted gravel (pink, blue whatever). They cost as much as plant friendly gravel (#4 explains about plants). At Big Al's ask for a cost effective plant friendly gravel.
Decorations: aquarium shops like Big Al's carry driftwood and nice looking rocks (dragon stone is a favorite).
Plants: plants scare people but they can be very easy. Take Java Fern or anubias for example. It is almost bomb proof. All you do is attach it to a piece of driftwood or rock with a rubber band and let it sit, filter water and provide comfort to your fish. I would recommend both Java fern and Anubias nana.
Fish: excluding bettas I would recommend a couple of male Endler's livebearers and/or a couple of male fancy guppies with different tail patterns. Keep away from goldfish, mollies or swordtails. They dirty the water rapidly. Goldfish are the reason most beginner fish keepers fail and give up. Also stay away from tetras, as they do much better in very large numbers in large tanks. They are also nippy and likely to attack other small fish you decide to add later on.
Setup: decorate the tank as you wish, fill it with water, and let it run without fish. Put some fish food in everyday to simulate the bioload fish would create. After a month go ahead and add fish. If you stick with the schedule you can skip the $60 test kit.