A1K. I have no idea as I've never shipped fish. Many times they are stocked in park ponds and such I believe.

Another beautiful fish that many people can't appreciate is the blue gill as they look drab from looking down into a pond or lake. They are really colorful in an aquarium like mother of pearl, though. I don't know if they're as easy and fun to breed as tilapia though.

I'd get a cichlid if you want a similar fish to a tilapia. The hole digging and mating rituals are similar I believe.

Nikisfish: Sounds like you're narrowing the fish you want down. Others will be more helpful about bettas and gubbies and algae eaters.

All I know is that the otto algae eater is a docile fish that stays small and the SAE's are a bit aggressive but not enough to bother my mosquito fish (which are a type of guppy I think).

I like live plants and do very well with many low-light varieties and shop-light flourescents with cheap plant bulbs. The fish love the plants and it's fun to see them grow though many people do great jobs with artificial too.

Hi, I tried putting a guppy with a my betta fish and the betta was chasing it a lot, so I dont recommend it. Also , unlike the other fish you mentioned betta might look out of place since its fins are all hanging loose.

Sometimes it's the personality of the individual fish, some fish are just not as aggressive as their same species for some reason. Also size plays a factor, if its less aggressive make sure you buy it bigger than the most aggressive.