So far...

[JustAlex4tw]

Nice response, Andreahp! +1

[Goes to 11!]

Nice responses, Andreahp! +1

+2, I concur.

[begovics]

Thank you all . That was really helpful. I can't find that new sticky. Can someone send the link or something.

[imma24]

If you look in "beginner freshwater" - it's in red print in the area below the subsections for cycling & compatibility.

[begovics]

Found it! Thanks andreahp.

[Trillianne]

Here's the thing.... I noticed you referred to your water readings as "perfect" and mention you got them tested at the pet store.

Define Perfect.

If your pet store isn't giving you actual readings of your Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate then how do you know if they were "perfect" other than to blindly take their word for it? And if you don't know what the ideal measurement of those is... you are doing yourself a disservice.

The free Aquarium ebook linked at right can help you better understand what is actually happening in your water through cycling and everyday functions.

I would suggest before you get more fish you do some research on the kinds you already have, as you have picked up some schooling fish, and some livebearing fish (known to make lots of infants) so there does need to be some thought into what you plan to do next as far as stocking.

Lastly... when doing a fish-in cycle the major key is to go SLOW. You need to give time for your tank to adjust to the new additions after each time you add fish. If not you can quickly go from things being good to a large problem.

[MrDrums]

The first time I ever set up a tank, I did the same thing as you. For a while, things were fine - I had a nice group of fish, including a Buenos Aires tetra. Then....it all went south at once. All my fish got ich, and I battles it for months- literally. And it wasn't fun. Lost most of my fish. When the dust settled, the B.A. tetra was al that was left. He lived another 5 yrs. believe it or not, and he had no color at all until the last year, when all of a sudden, his bright coloring came back seemingly over night. I talked to some fish people who think that the fih was so stressed by the major case of ich he had that it just took years to recover. Now, that was only a 20 gal. tank - you have one thing to your advantage and that's a larger volume of water. Your fish are small, and your water won't turn toxic as fast, but you should be watching carefully. You said you were all set to do a fishless cycle, but were talked out of it. That's the common mistake. Just make sure you keep the water changes regular until your filters start growing that good bacteria, or you will be dealing with ich too, and you'll wish you never set up a tank in the first place - that's how frustrating it can be.

Good luck - it is a great tank, and if you're patient, it will provide years of enjoyment.

[begovics]

Trillianne
Yeah, other members mentioned about reliability of pet shop testing. I was clueless and totally relied on those friendly PS people. But like Lady Hobbs said, they are there to sell the stuff not to run aquarium for you and I take it as my fault for the most part. The thing is that everything went cool (and still is) but after reading of people having so many troubles, I went suspicious and I posted my little story here. Of course I learned that my troubles didn't start yet and I am so happy that I will be much better prepared when something goes wrong. For my uneducated choice of fish I guess I would have to pay somehow. Maybe get another smaller tank or something...
MrDrums
Thanks for sharing your experience. I really hope this will work so I can have some fun too Can't wait until my aquarium is established and decorated so I can start taking more photos. Here is one I took this evening:
,
SeaView solution for aquarium background mounting is really nice stuff. The difference it makes is huge.

[Spidyman]

Im not huge on backgrounds with stuff on them i like just black but that looks really cool and I like the tank so far.