What fish should I start with?

Question
I recently bought a 50 gal tank, I have an underground filter right now the tank is between 70-80 degree's.  I was wondering the best fish to start with, how many, what i should feed them, etc. any info you could give me is greatly apprieciated i don't want to mess up.

Answer
Hi Melissa,

The information you are seeking is out there on the web, it just takes a little practice finding it. What fish you start with depends on your personal taste, but for freshwater tropical fish, I would recommend you start with small, hardy (and usually cheap) fish. Read on:
http://www.bestfish.com/articles.html
The third chart, Fish Compatibility, has an article on Beginner's Fish - take note of what they suggest.

Goldfish don't make the best beginner's fish, but your tank is large enough that if you are interested in trying goldfish, it ought to be OK. Goldfish have special dietary needs, and they also like cooler temperatures. More here:
http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/food.html
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm

As for general tips on what to feed, read below:
http://www.mongabay.com/fish/food.htm

Add fish s-l-o-w-l-y...maybe a handful of fish a week at first. During the first month of your tank's startup, the beneficial bacteria in your tank are still delicate. These are what keep your tank healthy, converting toxic ammonia into less toxic nitrite, and then nitrite into much less harmful nitrate. Nitrates should stay as low as possible, ideally lower than 20 ppm, and nitrite and ammonia should always be 0 ppm - in a healthy, cycled tank, this is always so. I recommend you test your water weekly for the first three months, during this time it's a sort of "break-in" period. To learn more about test kits, cycling, etc:
http://freshaquarium.about.com
The site above is a great beginner's resource.

I hope that helps, take care!
Nicole

P.S. Don't be afraid to use Google.com to do you research - there are *lots* of freshwater fish websites out there.
One of my favorites is below:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com