starting tank

Question
hi! i am starting my freshwater tank, it is 10 gallons and i have to install the illumination, so i need to know what type of light should i use! (...) if you can, i will really appreciate if you can send me tips about pH level -how to measure it- and all the things i need for my new tank! (...) important things and not that important! thank you a lot! =)

Answer
If you are doing a plastic plant tank, standard lighting should be ok, if you are doing a planted tank, look for lights that have high peaks of blue and red.  If you are diong a tropical tank, you will need a heater.  The filters that I recommend are any with a biowhell (marineland).  To test the pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, I would recommend getting a test kit (about $30 at petsmart)

Do you understand the nitrogen cycle? If not, look at this link:

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article14.html

I would recommend doing a fishless cycle as mentioning in the article above.  Any other questions, feel free to contact me again.

Good luck,

Jamie