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The second part of the set-up, or what I prefer to call the waiting part, also known as, 'Cycling' is a very important process; some people, however, tend to miss this stage out altogether, and the end result is not good, and could cost you alot of wasted money in fish and alot of upset.
I will explain a little of what 'Cycling' of the tank means; It refers to the promotion of beneficial bacteria, (Nitrobacter and Nitrosomonas) that develops in the aquarium over time. It is known as the 'Nitrogen Cycle' and it is vital that this cycle is in place well before you add any fish to your tank. I always find that when setting up a tank for the first time, it is really best to leave the tank for about 2-3 weeks prior to adding any fish to it. There are short cuts of course to this wait, but really the best result is to sit it out. If you are desparate to add fish early to your tank, be sure to buy a bottle of beneficial bacteria; which can be bought at most fish shops; It is a bottle of cultured bacteria, just ready to be added to your tank, and as such gives the bacteria a boost by adding more; and the more you have the better equipped your tank will be to handle your fishes waste.
Fish waste soon builds up, and when a new tank is set-up, there are no bacteria in it to break the fish waste down, so you end up with a toxic enviroment for your fish; which will enevitably die from this type of toxicity. It is also known in the trade as 'New Tank Syndrome'.
As I was saying the 'Nitrogen Cycle' works by way of breaking down fish waste into less harmful substances. Nitrogen is converted into Ammonia as proteins break down and then it's acted upon by beneficial bacteria (Nitrosomonas). The bacterial action converts the toxic ammonia into nitrites; which in turn are acted upon by other bacteria called Nitrobacter, and converted into less toxic nitrates; which are then easily neutralised by plants which absorb it.
After reading this, you should get a good idea of what you wish to do; whether you want to wait, or cheat a little. Whatever you do decide to do, make sure that you only add a few fish at first, that way the bacteria won't have such a difficult job of breaking down the fish waste, and it is always best to go for small fish at first, as they expel less waste.
If all goes well, and your tank is flourishing; you could then go on to add some more fish. Good luck!
For what types of fish to include in your aquarium, please browse through my other pages.
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