Which one....?

I honestly did a ton of research trying to figure out which fish I wanted - but I mostly set the tank up first with all of the decorations and then plan around that (since I feel like planning for the fish first makes sense for some higher end species but making it ideal can limit how your tank will look like in the end).

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I mostly did research and designed the tank around their care (or around the other fish that also were going to be in there).

Never, ever, go to a fish store and buy a fish without knowing their care and having the aquarium setup to their specific care and requirements.

The first time I bought a fish, it was because I felt sorry for it—it was a beta in a small plastic container, and I thought any life had to be better than that one. After I still failed to take care of it properly despite my best efforts, I did my research the next time and picked new fish accordingly.

I picked most of my early fish based on their looks in the store. Later, I'd add fish that I was researching online and found interesting.

I generally pick my fish, based on whether or not they are high maintenance. For awhile there, I usually went after fish that I would need to keep an eye on, as I have had family that tends to bother the fish quite frequently.