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Step 1
Understand the nitrogen cycle that your freshwater tank will go through. When you add fish to a new tank, they eat, then they produce waste. The waste they produce is high in molecules containing nitrogen, the most toxic of which is ammonia. In an established tank, "good" bacteria eat the ammonia and other nitrogens, but a new tank doesn't have enough probiotics to keep up with all of the waste. This can make some delicate fish very sick.
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Step 2
Choose freshwater fish that are ammonia- and nitrogen-tolerant to stock your tank until colonies of "good" bacteria mature. Many barbs, including tiger barbs, work well because they're inexpensive and hardy. Catfish, tetras, guppies, mollies and platies are also hardy and good starter fish.
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Step 3
Select starter fish that you'll enjoy watching while your tank completes its nitrogen cycle, approximately four to eight weeks. You might want to purchase inexpensive ones because starting a new tank is always risky.
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Step 4
Buy groups of six or more of the same type of fish to start your tank. Add new fish one or two at a time after testing for nitrogen in several weeks.
Comments
ThisAliCat said
on 1/1/2009 Yes,6 or more in a 10 gallon tank is too many. 1" of fish to 1 gallon of water. So if you know your fish is eventually going to grow to 2" in length, 5 of that fish would be the maximum amount of fish you have for that tank. If you have a catfish too, make sure to include your catfish in the amount of fish in the tank. They count too!
KylieAnne said
on 8/21/2008 great article, only thing I can spot is adding 6 or more to start, if you have a 10gallon tank this will be way too many! I agree with the types you suggested and I'm relieved to not see feeder goldfish, this always upsets me because they're not compatible with most community fish and people don't think of what they'll do with them after the tank is cycled.