how long should you let the fish tank run before adding fish?

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supercooper

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i got a fish tank and the instructions say let run for 2 - 3 days before adding fish is that true or not
 
Yes you need to cycle it, google aquarium cycle , it may take up to 3 weeks, do not get a goldfish they get large and can live for up to 45 years and CANNOT live in anything smaller tthan 50 gallons each. You should get/have a heater, filter, tank, stand, subrstate, decoration, lights, hood, food, net, declorinater ect. Then get 5 neon tertas and 3 platies and 4 coolie loaches, for a ten gallon. Just some advice, good luck!
 
Yeah its true. If you get the fish in a plastic bag, then place the bag in the water with the fish inside to get used to the idea of a fish tank. Also the bag will protect them from anything that might be in the not-yet-purely-cleansed water. If the fish tank is new, they probably want to let you run it to get the way system cleansed. Sort of when you run the fountain in the park, you let it run so you get clean water.
 
You can let it run for about a day, just to make sure that your equipment is working properly. You will have to add fish very slowly at first, because the beneficial bacteria that break down ammonia are not yet present in your new aquarium. Fish waste will trigger their growth, but if you add too many fish, the waste will overload the system and kill them.

Adding a bacterial supplement and doing lots of partial water changes during the first month will help keep the fish alive.
 
THe break in period is not just for checking equipment, but also getting the water aerated and stabilized so that it is safe for fish.

24 hours of running the tank does the job. You can wait two or three or seven days, it won't matter after the first day.

Pay attention to what the user above said about adding fish slowly. You can cycle your tank with your fish, but you should have an understanding of the cycle and how to do this before buying any fish.
 
sure why not,, but be aware that does NOT mean it is cycled,, 2-3 days will get the tempurature stabilized and establish that all the equipment is working
---- then a few hardy fishes, danios perhaps,, the fishes will produce AMMONIA, bacteria will begin to bloom to consume the ammonia,producing NITRITE,,, bacteria will spring up to consume the nitrite,producing NITRATE
----then once you are into the nitrate stage,,, a regular schedule for water changes to dilute the nitrates and replenish minerals that are depleated by the ongoing use of the water by the fishes
----you need a testing kit to keep up with what stage of the process you are in,,,personally i like the Aquarium Pharmacuticals Master Test kit, they are available in freshwater & saltwater which include all applicable test mediums for the particular application
----be PATIENT this whole process may take a few weeks,, If you rush it you will end up with dead fishes, a waste of money and a lot of frustration
 
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