Queston/Survey Of The Day

I'm thinking about getting a small aquarium and some fish. What kind of fish would you suggest? I want some colorful fresh water fish that are not hard to maintain.

I want to keep it simple, yet interesting to look at. Do I use real pants or plastic ? I was thinking colored marbles for a base instead of rocks. I'd appreciate any input, but bare in mind I'm just a beginner at this.