Aquarium advise...

I have wanted an aquarium for at least 20 years. Today I went to my eye doctor for my checkup. Aquarium Adventure is about a mile down the road, and I LOVE, LOVE LOVE going there.

I bought a small, 5 gallon Fluval Spec tank. It is approx. 17 wide by 10 high by 6.

I really like Beta ( or is it Betta) fish, and cory cats, and they said this would work fine for them. We had a tank 45 years ago, when I was a kid, and it was a pain in the neck to keep clean. However, as I researched, I **hear** that the newer tanks are much easier. I got a magnetic algae cleaner, a starter kit, some substrate and some rocks.

I am leaning to getting plants to put in it- not plastic ones.... real ones. I am, after all, a gardener by nature. If anyone has any experience I'd love to get advice on planted vs. not planted. I need to go back to the doctor in 2 weeks - have till then to decide on planted or not, and what fish.

They told me how to wash the small gravel substrate, and the natural rocks I bought and told me to put water in etc, and let it go for the 2 weeks, then get one fish to put in for 30 days, with the plants if I want them. When it has cycled, I could add a few more things. They recommended a red onion snail that cannot reproduce in fresh water.

Although I like Bettas, I would be open to a dwarf gourami instead, or some other nice fish as the "main" fish. I am also open to just a few of the endlers, as I thought they were very neat, small fish.

Some of the fish I really liked were.... (have not done research on these yet --)
Blue Paradise Fish
Albino tiger barb
Dwarf neon rainbow
peppermint tetra
julii cory
lemon tetra
rosy pristella tetra
I really liked the little male Endler
electric blue dempsey
powder blue gourami
Harlequin rasbora
Gold white cloud
Gold gourami
Orange Von rio tetra

I tend to like schooling fish. I know that I am very limited on number of fish for the size tank. The Endlers were so pretty, and little - but were 7.99 each. They said I should get two cory cats, and they could be different types.

They also recommended a red onion snail - said they cannot reproduce in fresh water. They also said shrimp would be a good addition.

From looking at all their fish, I would say I am drawn to blue fish, and gold or orange fish.

I thought I would try this small tank. If I like having and caring for fish, I can upgrade to a larger tank, and use this one for a quarantine tank.

Anyone have any advise for me?