I think a trader minimum start forex trading with $1000 because if a trader start trading with low amount then he take big risk to make big profit but when market go opposite then he face loss, even he loss his total capital but if he has big capital then he do not face big loss. there is no difference between using bonus offered by forex forums and our real money to trade forex so we must pay more attention when we are trading with our paid to post bonus money so that we can be able to trade profitably with it.