What fish should I get next for my tropical fish tank?

What do I do with my 10 gallon tank and decorations, and what fish should I get?

• I have a 10 gallon fish tank that I had not used in a year since my two goldfish had past away, and I am ready to try again. I had done a lot of research and learned much on fish keeping that I had never knew before, but I still don’t know how to clean the tank or the gravel and decoration. I've tried cleaning the tank with lemon juice to get rid of the hard water build up, and even though it got rid of about 90% of it, it left my hand prints on it. Is there anyway to get rid of that? Now for the other stuff in the tank, what do I do with it? I read somewhere that the old gravel will help with the beginning cycle that should be done before the fish moves in. Is that true? And will it still work seeing that the gravel and other decorations had been sitting outside next to the sprinklers (gathering and sitting in the water), and received some tree leaves, for a long time? If it is not, how do I clean them? Just two more questions, once I get my fish tank going, what type of fish should I get? I know that I want a NON-schooling fish, which can get along with a Cory Catfish (I always wanted a catfish =D), is easy to find at pet stores and no Dwarf Gourami of any kind (they scared me when I saw them at the pet store). Oh, for the Cory, is there a difference from the Peppered, Green, Emerald (favorite), and Albino? Or does it not matter? I am OK with having two of these fellas. Thanks for your help

• Answer:

  1. I clean used aquariums using baking soda and vinegar. Use a razor blade to remove difficult build up. 2. Old gravel is useless in this case. The gravel would have had to come from an established aquarium. You still need to cycle- http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/misc/fishlesscycling.html 3. The only cory that I would recommend for the ten gallon is the pygmy cory. Cories should be kept in small groups. Please use this site to guide you for stocking a ten gallon- http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/10_Gallon