[Nari]

Kay. If you ever decide to get fish again, try this. Get the tank a month or so before you get the fish. While you do that, get some ammonia. It should be a liquid form. That'll start off the cycle. You'll also want to get a testing kit. Set up the tank, fill it up, and then put some of the ammonia in the water. Don't get a fish yet. Do daily water changes and testing to see where you're at. You'll know that it's starting to work when you start seeing Nitrites. Nitrites are the waste from beneficial bacteria in the filter when absorbing ammonia. After a week or so, the Nitrite levels will start to rise and the ammonia levels will start to go down. Then, eventually, you will start to see Nitrates, which is the final stage in the Nitrogen Cycle. At some point, the ammonia will go down to 0, and the nitrites will go down to 0. Then it is safe for your fish. Do one final water change. Along the way, pick up some water conditioner. Seachem Prime is brilliant. The purpose of the water cinditioner is to neutralize the harsh metals and chlorine that is often found in Tap water. Let it sit for 24 hours with a littlE bit of ammonia in it, and then, you can get your fish.

When you bring the fish home, keep the lights off in the tank, and then float the bag in the water for 20 minutes. After those 20 minutes are up, then open the bag and if it is a small fish, carefully collect it in a net, and deposit it into the tank water. Don't dump the water from the bag into the tank. Also, don't feed it that first couple of days. Fish can go a while without eating. And leave the tank light off. It helps keep their stress down. And then, I would test the water once a day for a couple of weeks and do 80% water changes every other day. After that, you should only have to test and change the water once a week.

It seems like a bit of a hassle at first, but I've had both of my fish for over a year, they're over twice their body length and they are super healthy.