My family has had many pets during the years. I have to say the most "relaxing" of pets was our fish aquarium. We had a 10 gallon tank which was in the family room. It was a beautiful addition to our room and everyone always enjoyed watching the fish, including our cat. You need to do your research when purchasing your first aquarium. First, decide what kind of tank you want, fresh or salt water. Our family chose the hardy, freshwater tank and fish. Guppies, Platies and some Tetras is what we went for. For the beginner, these fish are strong and helps the tank get its nitrogen cycle in place for healthy fish in the future. It was fun buying the decorations for the tank. We had a shipwreck with some coral reef fixtures in the tank. The fish loved to swim in and out of the hole of the ship. After you get all your equipment and their habitat in place, there care can be easily maintained. The fish aquarium brought us many years of beautiful scenery to our family room.