How long until I put my fish in?

Soo I finally got a 20 gallon tank..its nice and tall and so much bigger I love it =] but how long should I wait before putting my fish in? My boyfriend is good with fish and he said a day would be fine but I wanna know for sure I don't wanna loose any of my fishys!

 

https://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Reading this should help you.

It is unwise to add fish to an uncycled tank. I'm sure your boyfriend means well, but it is best to establish the good bacteria (cycling the tank) before adding fish. The fish tend to be healthier and have better odds and a long and successful life.

 

I agree READ about the Nitrogen Cycle FIRST. Then, AFTER your tank has cycled, add the fish.

 

when we got started, we heard a day or 2 then fish a lot too. but the previous posts are right and a tank is easier to cycle without fish in it, at least it feels that way to us. we always cycle fishless using fish flakes or pellets. the apI master freshwater kit is the best for testing and letting you know how the cycle is progressing. we test every other day while cycling a tank so we can see when the ammonia and nitrites peak.

the fish you put in there will be much happier and enjoyable. ;D

 

Oh and so that you know for future tanks, yes I already know you will get MTS (multiple tank syndrome) we all do... resistance is futile..

If you use some filter media from a healthy tank in the tank that hasn't been cycled it will cycle much faster. Moving pretty much anything with lots of surface area to the new tank works. We pot some of our aquatic plants in the tanks, the pots would have enough surface area for that to work, as would filter media, etc.

But you should still, until you get used to it to the point Dino and I are, test the water to see when it is done cycling and such.

 

All good advice The only thing that I have to add is that once you start stocking your tank, DO NOT add all of the fish at once to your tank. This can cause an ammonia and/or nitrite spike EVEN IF your tank is cycled. Stock your tank very gradually, adding very few fish at a time (depending on the fish's size) in the intervals of 1 - 2 weeks. Do this until your tank is stocked with the kinds and numbers of fish you desire. Of course, that does NOT mean that you should overstock! LOL That's why you should read about the Nitrogen Cycle, as well as about the rest of our Beginner's Articles: https://www.fishlore.com/Beginners.htm Good luck