Before you make any purchases, it is always best to do some reading. By preparing in advance, you can save yourself a lot of time, money and trouble. Randomly picking out fish species in a pet shop is not a good idea; devote some time to research and find out more about species you are interested in. You can for instance visit a fish keeping portal online for general information and then head for more specialized websites if you develop an interest in any particular species of fish. You can also go to aquarium forums and ask more experienced fish keepers for advice. A great aquarium forum with plenty of members can turn out to be a lifesaver in the future when you need quick and accurate advice on how to deal with problems in your tank, e.g. sick fish or sudden violence. Aquarium forums are also a great source of information regarding less acute problems, e.g. which filter to chose, how to breed a certain species, or which methods that can be used for brown algae control.

In addition to the internet, your local library can also prove to be a valuable source of information. Even small public libraries will typically have at least a few books on general fish keeping. If you’re interested, there might also be an aquarium club in your area where you can become a member.