getting started help!

Question
We are interested in purchasing a 10 gallon take w/ various fish but I have NO idea where to start. I want to do it right. My husband likes tetras, I like Mollies. I love little ghost shrimp! We have a beta but she's going to stay in her own 1 gallon tank. Thank you for any information you can give me!

Answer
Hi Shanni;

Mollies, some tetras and ghost shrimp are actually okay together as long as the tank is big enough and well-maintained. Whatever fish you end up deciding on, consider getting a larger tank to get started, such as a 20 gallon. Ten gallons are so limited and they are actually too small to keep mollies in. I recommend keeping mollies in no smaller than a 20 gallon because of their potential size of 4 inches. Especially since they are live-bearers and you could have babies all over the place. Yikes! Tetras like to be in schools of 3 or more so a 20 gallon or larger would suit them better too. Here are some web pages to help you learn more and get you off to a good start;

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/aquariumstartup/a/newtankmistakes.htm

http://www.firsttankguide.net/steps.php

http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-intro.html#success-tips

http://aquariumhobbyist.com/articles/NewAquarium.html

http://www.firsttankguide.net/capacity.php

Here also is a link to my own page about new tanks and the "Break-In Period";

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

Good luck and have fun! Followups welcome...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins