no fish and already problems!!

[tEbU89]

so we have just got a little tank from a local store. nothing fancy as we are novices and only want to keep a few tiny little fish in. we set it up and had it on a few days now. we have the light on, filter and heater ( not sure if we are going with the heater yet but using it for now u till we know what fish we want). started off fine then got the bits in to treat the water so applied some tetra aqua safe to the tank n a pinch of food to start the filter working. now it's a mess. have no idea why and it's been 4 days.... any one shed light as to why this has happened?? obviously as it's so new there are no fish in there

[Gingerlove05]

Hello and welcome
The murkyness is caused by a bacteria bloom, very common in new setups. Its nothing to worry about and should clear in a couple of days, maybe a week, but it will clear up

[PaulVerrall]

Let the filter do it's work naturally, a 4-6 week cycle, be patient is the best advice.

[Martinspuddle]

Greetings. ...and from @PaulVerrall above, who is to busy drooling over the plans for his new huge aquarium and forget to say hello?!

[thebendyfox]

As people up there have said

If you haven’t already - take a look at the “How to cycle your tank” guide (under the guides section at the top of the page) for some really good pointers on how and why to cycle a tank.

Patience is the best way to a stable & safe environment for your fish to flourish.

[fr499y]

Welcome to

What size is the tank? Tropical will give you a better selection of small fish, but it all depends on the size of tank. The cloudiness could be the gravel ( recommended to wash it first to remove dust ) or it could be bacteria if you are using a safe start product.

As said, check out the guides as they will help you get set up and cycled the better way, which also allows you to fully stock straight away without any worries.

[plankton]

Welcome to the forum.
You'll need to find out the hardness of the water as well to provide the optimum for the fish you decide on.
Guides are at top left, just under the forum header.

[fr499y]

Unless you are in mobile view, then it’s the three lines at the top right, scroll down in the box and you will see them near the bottom

[plankton]

This is why I don't use my phone for anything other than texts and calls....

[Flex365]

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