forgot to wash out gravel

Question
Hey Nori,

I am putting a fish tank together. forgot to wash the gravel. but i already put all 55 gallons in is that going to be a problem.  i have no fish in there yet
thank you for your time
lisa

Answer
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for your letter. I'm guessing you just put 55 gallons of expensive bottled water in there and don't want to dump it out.
I suggest you get a syphon vacuum cleaner at the aquarium supply shop and clean about 10 percent of the water. Run the large end of the vacuum around in the rocks. That should remove any soot, or whatever it is on the gravel that should not go in the tank.
Also, buy a bottle of Cycle and follow the directions on the label to treat the water. It is not a chemical treatment, but organic biology, friendly bacteria. Continue to use it when you do tank changes.
The biggest pitfall of aquarium care is over feeding, so be sure to feed sparsely.
Full instructions here (read and print out for future reference):
http://steamboats.com/aquarium.html
Write back if you want to discuss further.
Nori