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Ok I know I want a 55 gallon glass aquarium with a sand bottum, but i don't know whether i should go with fluorescent light or incandescent light.

What are the pros and cons of each???

Also I want to go with a canister filter, but is it worth it, or should i just stick with something like an emperor bio-wheel system?

What are the pros and cons of canister filters and the smaller hang off the tank filters???

And then to top it all off, would it be better to shop around for all the items ( tank, hood, stand, etc.) or buy a combo pack. I can get a brand new 55 gallon tank for about $100 or I could go to Wally World and get one of their acrilic combo packs for about $150. Personally i think a glass aquarium would be much nicer, but money will always be an issue untill I figure out how to grow it. ]

about the lights, floresent shows off the fishs' color sooo much better, i have a half black male guppy that i dident knotice had blue in its tail till i got home and put it in my 29 w/ floresent lighting. i noticed that the fishs' color isnt as brilliant when in indicasnt lighting.

I think there is greater risk of undesirable algae with incandescent too. I learned this the hard way

On the lights, I'd definitely go flourescent over incandescent. Besides the better light accuracy, they're more efficient. You burn up a lot of electricity generating heat with incandescent lighting. And a standard 55 gallon tank is 4' long which enables you to buy tubes at Home Depot or some such place.

As for filters, canisters are nice. They don't clutter up the tank the same way, they're quiet, and efficient. HOB power filters work well, too, though and are a cheaper way to go. One possibility with your tank would be to get two power filters so that if one dies, you have a backup. Either HOB or canisters work well; it depends on your budget.

As for putting it together yourself or getting a kit, I'd recommend putting it together yourself. You can pick out the components you want and the brands you want. Often the all-in-one kits have crappy heaters that will fail. Better to get the stuff you want immediately and make sure it's good quality. Saving a few dollars by buying sub-standard stuff now will just cost you in the future. I'd also recommend a glass tank over acyrlic: they scratch much less easily.

Have fun planning and shopping!

Thank you all for the lighting answers.

Next question, if I were to go with a canister filter, what would be a good one to take interest in?

Eheim's the best, but expensive. Magnum and Fluval have good reputations.

-Molly
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Without question, Eheim is the best, but it is also pretty expensive. The Rena XP canisters have a great reputation, too. You can see what people say about various filter brands here: [link=http://www.cichlid-forum.com/reviews/category_display.php?CatID=104]http://www.cichlid-forum.com/reviews/category_display.php?CatID=104" style="COLOR: #FF0000[/link].