set up please help

Question
QUESTION: hi, im upgrading from a 10 gallon to a 29 gallon freshwater. i have all of the stuff that i need for it, in cluding a marineland 350b filter. i have clean gravel and decorations. i also have a few small guppies, mollies, platys and other teteras that i was planning a adding to the tank that are currently in the 10 gal. when would you suggest that i add them, although i want a very low chance of them dying. i ve read about the nitrogen cycle, and i would prefer to do it with out fish. Could you please tell me the simplified steps to do this? All other advise you can give me would be greatly appretiated.
thanks.

ANSWER: Hi Meg,

I'm so sorry this took so long to answer.  I was away on vacation and forgot to turn off my All Experts profile while away.  Eek.

Please add a snail for 2 weeks prior to adding fish, to get its poop to cause nutrificial bacteria to grow.

Do change 25% of the water in the tank on weekends til the cycle is done.  You can basically put fish in, in one month from the date of setup if the filter has continually been running.

Seed the new gravel with some of the old.

Happy fish-keeping.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi, thanks for your idea. What kind of snail would you suggest that I add, and how many?

Answer
Hi Meg,

I have mystery snails.  I recommend them.  I read a lot of total balogna about them online.  They say they eat plants, breed rampantly, it's all untrue,

I've been breeding mystery snails about 20 years.  They are not any of the above and they do eat algae, but they do not eat plants.  I have planted tanks, all stocked with albino mystery snails.

I love them very much.  They are beneficial.