You can put water in it from your kitchen/bathroom sink but you need to buy clearifier and stuff tor remove chlorine and other harsh chemicals in your water. Wash your gravel, ornaments, tank and everything with vingar and water. Set up your tank. Add your chemicals and let it run about 48-24 hours before you add your fish. Also turn up the heat in your tank to 90 degrees while letting it run to kill out ich. You can put your fish in there and let the bag sit to let the fish get use to the water for about 10 minutes. Then turn down the heat to about 72-75. Let your fish out after 5 minutes! If you don't have a heater make sure you get fish that like cold water such as gold fish that don't need a heater.