You will need to buy household ammonia (which contains only ammonia and water) and add it to 5ppm. Then you need to keep testing the water to watch for the ammonia and nitrite spikes, topping up ammonia as you go along. The cycle will take about 4 weeks. If you do not cycle the tank, you will end up buying fish which die and die again. It would not be fair on you, nor on the fish.
You should now have the following:
* Dechloraminator/dechlorinator: I also use StressCoat, but you can use any which removes chloramine and chlorine
* Household ammonia
* Liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and hardness
* Thermometer (the little glass ones which go inside the tank are best)
* A diary where you keep notes on your progress (one on here, a notebook, a text file on your computer, anything will do): record the water readings, when you add ammonia and later details of your animals
On a plus side, I have finally thought of a stunning fish you should be able to keep which will be bigger than the others: Betta splendens, aka Betta or Siamese fighter. They are absolutely beautiful pets and come in a huge variety of colours. Click here for photos. You will only be able to have one of these.
You should now have the following:
* Dechloraminator/dechlorinator: I also use StressCoat, but you can use any which removes chloramine and chlorine
* Household ammonia
* Liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and hardness
* Thermometer (the little glass ones which go inside the tank are best)
* A diary where you keep notes on your progress (one on here, a notebook, a text file on your computer, anything will do): record the water readings, when you add ammonia and later details of your animals
On a plus side, I have finally thought of a stunning fish you should be able to keep which will be bigger than the others: Betta splendens, aka Betta or Siamese fighter. They are absolutely beautiful pets and come in a huge variety of colours. Click here for photos. You will only be able to have one of these.
