Quote:
Originally Posted by Natalie
hello i am a new member. i have recently brought a fish tank for cold water fish it has been set up for 2 days just wondered if any one could tell me how long i should leave it before adding any fish and how many fish should be added at a time  |
Hello Natalie and welcome
Thats how we all started out, some of us have gone back to our roots
There are many factors to consider when setting up a tank, in a nut shell, if you have added de-chlorinator then the fish can be added after a couple of days.
What size is your tank? does it have a filter?
It takes around 6 weeks for a coldwater setup to go through the whole Nitrogen cycle. The ammonia and nitrite will rise and fall during this time. This causes a little bit of stress to the fish. If you ask the LFS or a friend for some old aquarium gravel (just a handful) to kick start the bacteria in the Nitrogen process.
It is important to keep the water aerated 24-7, only feed the fish every other day, just a pinch, not the 2 minute rule on most food packets.
After around 4-5 weeks you can start to feed every day.
I would only start with two small fish, goldfish are gregarious, they appreciate the company. If its a small tank, stick to fancies, they do not require as much space to swim.