Aquarium keeping is an often devouring and essentially fascinating passion. Many are the passionate persons who do not count their time any more, spending many hours to observe, improve and refine their aquariums.
The culture and the knowledge concerning the aquariophily cannot be improvised however and they often depend on many hours of learning and various teachings. Indeed, this discipline suffers enormously from all attempts at improvisation, which are often most fatal for the tanks and the people who occupy them.
It is therefore necessary to apply yourself with an unfailing rigor when you elaborate your first aquarium, in order not to miss anything and especially not to make mistakes that could be annoying for your fish. Thanks to this short presentation, you will be able to learn very quickly how to take care of your fish, and above all not to make any mistakes. Whether it is for the setting up of your first aquarium or for the progressive addition of fish to your existing population, we will try to guide you in the best way possible in order to give you the keys to success for all your new fish introductions.
For a first introduction of fish, how long do I have to wait?
The aquarist is often known for his patience in creating his aquarist’s world. This patience is indeed often required, especially when it comes to the first introduction of the tank, which is a crucial step that should not be missed and that must be scrupulously respected, even if other alternative techniques offer the possibility of greatly reducing waiting times.
After the watering of your tank, the nitrogen cycle will start in your aquarium, which takes place in distinct phases, in relation to the plants that may have entered your new aquarium.
This cycle, which is very important for the whole ecosystem that you will create in your aquarium, is therefore essential, and you will not be able to get through it. This cycle is a natural phenomenon that results from the exchange of materials within your tank. Very quickly after you put in water the ammonia that will be released from your soil will be transformed into nitrites, which will then be degraded into nitrates before being assimilated by the aquatic plants which, through the system of photosynthesis, will allow the creation of oxygen within the tank. During this whole process the water is polluted for fish and is even toxic, especially during the production of nitrates. The introduction of fish or other animals into the aquarium is therefore impossible. This cycle lasts about 3 weeks and should be checked by means of water tests carried out at regular intervals after the aquarium is filled with water.
For better performance and to allow for a better breakdown of nitrites into nitrates and so on, it is recommended that you incorporate active bacteria into your aquarium as soon as it is watered, which you can find at your pet shop. They should be incorporated every week. It will only be after this period, if the tests prove satisfactory, that you will be able to introduce your first fish to your tank.
For people in a hurry, some bacteria are much more active and allow you to introduce the fish 24 hours after they have been incorporated into the tank. These products can be found in pet stores, but there is a significant risk that the cycle will not be respected and that you will have to observe a higher rise in nitrites than normal. However, these products have proven their effectiveness on several occasions and they allow the introduction of fish once the 24-hour period has passed, after the rigorous tests have been carried out.
Remember to change the water before introducing fish in order to considerably reduce the nitrite and nitrate levels in your tank.
Please note! Once the deadlines have been respected, do not introduce too many fish at the same time, as this could considerably increase the nitrite level and the water could become toxic for your fish. Prefer a first introduction of only a few specimens (about 10 per 100 liters).
