Initial Set Up

Question
Tank has been set up for 1 full day. (5 gallon)
My fiance' could not help it and purchased a tiger barb (1)and (1) yellow snail. From what I read the tiger barb is too small for my set-up and since we did not wash the gravel I'm afraid that the conditioner (de-chlorinator)will not be enough to keep the barb alive. The tank has a Bio-3 stage filter with wheel.  Basic all-together set up from Eclipse Marineland. Only receiving heat from incandescent lamp.  I need to get a test kit to follow the levels of pH, ammonia, and nitrite. I also read that I should not have more than 5" worth of fish for a 5 gallon tank which does not allow for too many fish.  What kind of fish would be appropriate for this set-up and when can we add them?  We have mostly live plants and planning to add more to increase nitrate levels.  How often should the filter and water be replaced? Any other suggestions on beginning maintenance items or chemical products?  Thanks for your assistance.

Answer
Hi Jason
I would take the barb and the snail back.  Tell your girlfriend patience is the key to a successful aquarium :)  Well, one of them anyway.  Tank is too small for a barb, plus they prefer to be in groups of at least 3-5.  The snail won't survive the cycle process the tank is going to go through, and being a new tank, there's no algae for him to eat.  Also, plants don't increase the nitrate levels.  Some will help decrease nitrate levels, but shouldn't be used in place of doing regular weekly water changes.

I'd recommend doing a fishless cycle.  First, here's a link to read through on how a tank cycles:

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/startupcycle/Step_5_The_Cycle.htm

For fishless cycling, get a salad or cocktail shrimp.  Put it either in a mesh media bag(can buy one at the pet store near the filter media section), or a pair of pantyhose/nylons with the leg/foot cut off.  Put the shrimp in that, tie off the top, and throw it in the tank to rot.  This will eventually put out ammonia.  Beneficial bacteria will convert that to nitrites, then to nitrates.  When ammonia and nitrites are at 0 ppm, and nitrates are showing the tank is cycled.  Remove the shrimp, and do a water change to get nitrates down below 20 ppm.  Add your fish soon after that.  The whole process takes about 4-8 weeks to complete.  Doing it the fishless way is a bit quicker, because you don't have to do water changes to dilute the toxins in the water for the fish.  You just top off any that evaporates, and that's it.

For types of fish, you are rather limited due to the size of the tank.  The one inch of fish rule is ok to use, but you need to take into account the adult size of the fish.  For example, mollies grow to about 3 inches, but are usually only about an inch when we buy them.  Bettas are good for that tank size, but the only problem with them(and other fish), they need a temperature around 78 F.  They do make a small heater for that size tank, but you really have to monitor it along with that light so you don't cook the fish.  

Like I said, a betta would work, dwarf platies(get about 1 inch), a few guppies, some ghost/glass shrimp for bottom cleaners, and eventually the snail for algae control.  Not all those together, just some suggestions.  I would say whatever you get, you should only get about 2 or 3 fish max.  Any live bearer fish that you may get-like guppies or platies etc. I would only get males, no females.  With females, you may end up over run with fry/babies, and your tank isn't large enough to handle that.  

Once your tank is set up with fish, I recommend doing a weekly water change, of about 25% of the water, and be sure to use gravel vacuum/syphon(they make small ones) to clean the gravel good.  For the filter, I would use the bucket of used tank water, and rinse it off-just scrub with your hand, in that bucket of tank water.  They really only need replaced about every 3 months or so.  The directions will say to replace every month-they just want you to spend money.  With the above proper maintenance, every 3 should be fine.  Also, the only chemical I'd recommend using would be Prime by Seachem.  It's a water dechlorinator, and it's expensive but lasts a very long time.

Hope that helps and good luck with your new tank!  Let me know if you have more questions!

Christy