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The one most important tip for any aquarist - is patience!
Buying a tank, setting it up and filling it with fish all in the same day, while possible, is a sure road to disaster. In fact, setting up and fully stocking your first tank will take close to two months!
True, it takes time, but why? The nitrification cycle. An aquarium must fully cycle before it becomes stable and suitable for fish. Test your water parameters frequently for the first couple months. A tank is fully cycled when the ammonia reads 0 ppm, the Nitrites read 0 ppm, and you begin to get a Nitrate reading (between 5 and 20 ppm).
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Joe Wallace |