hello

[tonipppan]

im a beginner to this hobby.. i have couple of questions...
first of all, tropical fish and fresh water fish are the same or is there a difference???
abt the heating,, i seen some has light on top , and some use heater, why is that or what is the difference..
and as a begineer, can anybody tell what kind of gravel should i use, and the plants,, what should i get??

[fishboyt]

Freshwater fish and tropical fish are the same, but tropical fish like warmer water. The light does not really heat up the tank, it is just there for lighting the tank. Any kind of gravel is fine. Some nice beginner plants are java moss and java fern.

[fishboyt]

Oh, welcome to the box!!!

[wesleydnunder]

Welcome to HFB. Glad to see new folks getting into the hobby. For most tropical freshwater fish, you'll likely need a heater during the winter months. During the summer I turn the heaters off in my tanks...except the discus tank, as my avg temp. in the house is 78F. As far as which fish you should keep, that depends on what you like and what size aquarium you plan to start with. The same thing applies to plants...some fish aren't compatible with live plants, they treat them as their personal salad bar. I'd suggest doing some research on which fish you're interested in, look at their max size, feeding requirements, water conditions, etc., then look at the overall expense in setting up a new tank for the size fish you like. Cost can be a major determining factor in what you start with. You can set up a complete 10 gallon tank with top, light, filter and fish for under 50 bucks in most cases.

Fair warning; once you get good at keeping fish, it becomes an obsession.

Mark

[CichlidFan]

Nice job on the info Treston... :)

YES....welcome tonipppan

CF

[fishboyt]

Nice job on the info Treston... :)

YES....welcome tonipppan

CF

Thanks! I've learned alot from everyone here. :)

[Zulaab]

Tonippan -- I would like to welcome you to the HFB.
I think Fishboyt and the others took care of the differences so I am not going to repeat myself.
If you looking for research and questions and more, please feel free to ask. We will all assist you with as much as possible.

From my book of beginners. First look at what kind of fish you would like to keep, ask questions and see what works with it. Be patient and don't rush anything.
No matter what anyone else will tell you, the bigger a tank you get the better off you will be.. why you ask.. the more water the less changes of a major disaster up front.

The more information you can give us the more we can give you back !

Again welcome to the Houston Fish Box !!