I Want My Tank Full Of Fish NOW !

Or so says one of my newest clients.....and, yet again, I have to remind him the importance and value of patience when starting up your aquarium.

You have found the aquarium. You have the set-up all configured. You put in your sand. You plugged in your lights. The rock has been placed. The water has been filled.

So, why just a couple of those, 'what are they called again', Damsel fish the only thing you're putting in there.....?

Favorite word for the novice aquarium enthusiast owner to learn: Cycle, or cycling. The tank needs to cycle before it can be beautiful. The tank needs to go through it's early stages of spiking and settling. The biological perfection needs to be aquired. And, patience, is an absolute. Well, unless you really want to throw money down the drain, that is.

Put a couple damsel fish in. These blue ones are one of the most common.

They are inexpensive and extremely hardy. A couple clown fish will work also. A couple of weeks, yes, weeks, later, test the water, and maybe add a strong coral. An open brain, a yellow polyp. Then another couple of weeks, test the water. How's the protein skimmer doing? Lights working well, fish eating. Sand get that bloom yet? Test the water. Look for the right levels.

Then, add another fish. Maybe another coral or two. Maybe by about week four or five you can start putting in several corals and two fish at a time.

Trust me, you'll know if you put fish in too fast......you won't have them any more.

Take your time to build your beautiful reef aquarium. I love helping the newbies. Give me a call, shoot me a text ~ happy to chew your ear off about aqariums stuff while you're working on your patience.