newbie self introduction and a few questions.

5 gallon tanks are less stable. The bigger the better. If a 5 gallon is all you can fit, I suggest one betta. They are pretty and come in a variety of colors. However, I'd aim for a 10 gallon.

Also, make sure you check your college handbook... not all colleges allow fishtanks and check with your roommate. Don't go investing in a hobby only to have it backfire.

Bettas are pretty peacefull. I would be more concerned with tank mates attacking the betta, rather than the other way around.

I dont think tetras are bad for a newbie, but i dont know about putting 6 of them into a 5 gallon.

I had 2 dwarf flame gouramis in a 20 gallon and they fought until one of them killed the other. I think one of the reasons this happened is because i didn't have enough places for them to hide, and the fact that they were both males. They are nice fish though, and generally peacefull.

If you have room, i would go w/ the 10 gallon. The bigger the better. You have a lot of options of fish to put in there, im sure you will find something you like.

You came to the right place to ask questions.....i swear these people know everything about this hobby!! I never ask the fish stores anymore, i always come here.

If I had a five gallon, I would either put a betta a paradise fish, or a dwarf gouramie in it.

In a 10g I would put one of the above fishes, then you could add any small tetra or barb. In my 10 I had a group of cherry barbs. 1 male and his harem. They often mated and have produced 4 offspring. I also had 5 cories in that tank until I upgraded to a 20g.

But just do a little research on this site and others, and you could find a variety of beautiful setups for your new tank.

Dwarf Cichlids are another option

Small tanks require more frequent maintenance, especially as a first tank. Things like evaporation can cause sudden shifts in water parameters, and there are not as many fish that are appropriate for small tanks. One of the most common problems with fish tanks in general is that 'we' tend to want lots of fish, so end up putting in more fish than the volume of water can support.

Plants are beneficial in most all tanks. I've had great success with lower light plants in 5 gallon tanks. I replace the bulb with one that has the spectrum plants prefer (often these are blue, and are called plant lights) and plants like anubias, java ferns, and some types of crypts thrive, even blooming regularly.

For fish for a 5 gallon tank, look at paradise fish, dwarf gourmies (only one male!), as your 'main' fish, and then a group of dwarf cories or kuhli loaches. Even a single fish, with a group of shrimp is fun and entertaining. I wouldn't go with most of the tetras--small tanks prevent them for schooling, really. Small numbers will result in stressed fish, which isn't good. There are several species of bettas--the veil tails are most common, but some of the less common specimens are stunning. Look into killi fish as well--many species stay very small, so a group of 5-6 would be happy in a 5.

In a 10 gallon tank, the above with a trio of platies would be nice. Or, you could have a school of small tetras (neons, cardianls, blood fins) and 3-4 panda cories.

The goals of stocking should be to a) get fish that will thrive in the conditions you provide and b) you will enjoy. One of the common laments I see is "My fish always hides--how do I make it stop?". The problem hereis the fish is doing what's natural for it, not what the aquarist wants. The fix is: get fish that do what you want. Many fish are shy and secretive by nature--if you want a fish that greets you each time you approach the tank, a secretive fish, no matter how lovely, will be a disappointment. So, decide if you're looking for a lively show, or those special appearances, and go from there. I have tanks of both types. I enjoy them for their differences!

For tanks: some of the kits are good, others not so much. I would avoid a kit that came with an undergravel filter, as this will be more work to care for, especially in the limits of a dorm room. A hang-on-back filter will work well--the media can be removed and cleaned with a minimum of fuss. Some kits come with heaters, and this is a must for most setups. Also, a thermometer, a hood and light, nets, a vaccum (or this can be DIY--some tubing from the local hardway stores works well) should be included. Other needed items: at least 2 buckets. Use one for the old water (house plants are a great way to dispose of this) and one for the new water. Towels, for the inevitable spills. Food and food storage. A test kit--you'll want to include ammonia, nitrite, nitrates, pH and hardness is nice, but many LFS will test for free. It's important to be able to test the water, but it doesn't have to be at home as long as you have ready access to the store.

Another nice thing: a timer for lights. Much easier than manual flipping switches.

I'd also make assignments for when the water is changed and when the fish are fed. Feeding too much is way to common and probably the number on cause of tank problems. If this is assigned to one person, for a specific time of day, you can avoid a bunch of headaches.

GL!

Oriongirl always has good advice. I am maintaining a 55gal for a local elementary school. If you have a little extra cash, you can get a fairly inexpensive automatic feeder that will feed them the same amount at the same time every day, but be careful you set it right. The main drawback I see is that it only feeds one type of food. This is fine, but the fish really do need some variance in their diet. So, to overcome that, I take them some treat every timne I go by the school. Those fish seem to be happy with this arrangement. BTW, they are also always happy to see me walk up.

If you could get say a 10gallon in there and would like something intresting have you considered a blue lobster? very intresting to watch it eat.

but definatly get the largest tank you can fit in your room. If it is price you are worried about grab your local buy/sell paper and look for tanks. You can get some great deals in those. Or just trawl the LFS many of them get in second hand tanks from time to time.

I remember my days living in a dorm room, I had 3 tanks in my room, a 10, 5 and 2.5. They all did very well, with weekly water changes. My neighbor had a 40 gallon breeder in his room, but he had one of those extra large rooms for himself and I had a small room. But we both had lots of fun with our fish.
If you want to go with the Marine Land 6, STOP.. Don't run but walk to Walmart if you have one in your area. Buy the REGENT 5, it is the same tank for about $20 - $30 less. I believe it is going for 39.99 at the local walmart. These are not bad tanks, I own one, and had it at my office for some time, but with the constant lights being on here, I had to take it home because of the bad alage in the tank. Now I use it as a growning out tank for Mollies. As for types of fish to get, Orion Girl gave some great suggestions. But I do have to toss my 2 cents worth, I recommend this fish for all small tanks, Heterandria Formosathe least killiefish. You can fit a colony of 15 in a 5 gallon with ease. Picture of a pair is my avatar.

jim