How long set up tank before fish

Begin filling the tank slowly to avoid any cloudiness from your gravel. Place a small plate in the bottom of your tank and slowly pour the water into the tank over the plate, to minimise cloudiness. Now is the time to turn on all electrical equipment associated with your tank do NOT do this beforehand as this will damage your electrical equipment. The light can stay off for now if you would prefer.

As a general rule, only leave your light on for up to eight hours per day, as any longer may promote algae growth. Read all instructions on your treatment bottles to ensure you are adding the right dosage to your tank. Add in all treatments now. Water conditioner and a biofilter product to establish beneficial bacteria are a must. Allow your tank to cycle and create a healthy biological filter before adding in any fish.

This may take up to one month. To begin the cycle, add a good pinch of fish food to the water; this will break down into ammonia and products promoting bacteria will start to act.

By letting a healthy environment develop, you will decrease the chance of your tank suffering from New Tank Syndrome which is a toxic buildup of ammonia and nitrites. After all required products have been added and the cycling is complete after following product instructions , you should take the opportunity to bring a sample of your tank water about ml, in a clean container with lid into your local PETstock store for free water testing.

Then, over a couple of weeks, gradually add more fish. Once you have added fish to your new tank, the added waste fish produce could cause some more ammonia to reappear. Reacting to any necessary changes will help keep your fishy family members safe and healthy. The tank cycle itself follows one linear process, and the longer you wait to add fish during the cycle, the better.

However, if you do want to add fish immediately, there are a couple of methods to do so. After the tank cycles and fish are added to the tank, you still need to monitor your fish, as well as maintain the tank. Find out more on maintaining your fish tank. Aqua One Lifestyle 52L - Perfect for beginners. Can be used for cold or tropical fish and includes lighting and filtration. Also available is the matching stand. Setting up a new tank can be a minefield of information and advice will vary from person to person, store to store, book, magazine, to the internet.

One of the most discussed and misunderstood topics is how long you should leave a newly set up aquarium before adding fish.

As good as any new aquarium and filter are, when you buy them new, they are dry and sterile. Fish produce waste but are not tolerant of living in their own waste. In the confines of a tank, fishkeeping is only possible because of beneficial bacteria and biological filtration.

Nitrifying bacteria convert toxic ammonia into nitrite, then less toxic nitrate. Without beneficial bacteria in place inside an aquarium filter, fishkeeping as we know it is not possible as, as soon as you put fish in your tank, ammonia will be excreted and they will poison themselves and die. In newly set up tanks this is called New Tank Syndrome, and poor water quality any levels of ammonia or nitrite above zero, is the most common cause of dead fish.

But for how long? And where do the bacteria come from? Step 1 is to dechlorinate the water. Tapwater contains either chlorine or chloramine, both of which are added to it to kill bacteria. The next bit is the controversial bit! Set up a tank and advice will vary greatly on how long you should leave it before adding fish. Some sources will say one day, others one week, some same day.

Until the beneficial bacterial colonies have become fully established in the bio-filter, the aquarium cannot safely support a full load of fish. In the beginning, only add a couple of small hardy fish. Wait until both the ammonia and nitrite levels have risen and then fallen to zero before adding more fish.

It usually take about weeks for a new aquarium to go through the initial nitrogen cycle, so fish should be added only a few per week during this time. It is very common for new owners to overstock the aquarium.

Although an experienced person may successfully keep a school of 20 small fish in a ten-gallon aquarium, it would be disastrous for a beginner to attempt it. The net gallons of water should be the amount of water actually placed in the aquarium after the gravel and decorations are in it. You will want to use an 80 percent ratio of tank volume to actual water in the aquarium.

For example, a "gallon aquarium" may only hold 8 gallons of water after the decorations and gravel have been added.

Using the one inch of fish length per gallon of water rule, 8 inches of fish is a maximum number to be safely kept. That could be 8 fish that grow to be one inch long when full-grown, or 4 fish that grow to be 2-inches long when full-grown. It is always wise to go under the maximum to rather than over.

This is just a general rule and bigger aquariums with large filtration systems can often hold more fish than this, if the water quality is managed properly. New aquarium owners often choose fish that look appealing to them without knowing their environmental needs. Some fish may fight with one another or require widely different water conditions. Always research each species before choosing tank mates.

Select peaceful fish that thrive in similar water conditions. One of the most common mistakes made by fish owners is overfeeding the fish.

Fish are opportunistic and will seek food at all times. Just because they appear hungry does not mean they need to be fed all the time. Feed them no more than they completely consume in five minutes. If food is left over after five minutes, remove the food with a net and feed less food next time. During startup, feed fish no more than once per day; during critical times when ammonia or nitrite levels are high, withhold feeding for a day or two to reduce the wastes being produced.

Fish can easily go several days without food and not suffer ill effects. Once your aquarium has cycled and the ammonia and nitrite levels are zero, you can start feeding your fish twice daily. The flow of water through the filter is what makes the water safe for your fish. An aquarium filter should pass all the water in the tank through it at least three times per hour.

If it does not, it is too small. If in doubt about filter size, move to the next larger size. You cannot over-filter, but you can definitely under-filter, and the results can be harmful to your fish.