Step-by-step
Step 1: Buy equipment40-gallon breeder tank (36" × 18" × 16"),
Fluval 207 canister or AquaClear 70 HOB, 200W heater, LED light (
Fluval Plant 3.0 or Finnex Planted+ 24/7), inert gravel or planted substrate, dechlorinator.
Step 2: Aquascape day 12 inch substrate. Hardscape: 3-5 pieces of driftwood + smooth river stones. Fill, dose dechlorinator. Plant: java fern + anubias on wood, vallisneria background, crypts midground. Don't plant carpet without high light + CO2.
Step 3: Cycle weeks 1-3Add bottled bacteria. Dose ammonia to 2 ppm. Test every 3 days. Cycle complete in 7-21 days with bottled bacteria; 28-42 days without. Don't add fish until ammonia + nitrite both 0 within 24h.
Step 4: Stock week 4 - bottom dwellersAdd 8 corydoras catfish (sterbai, panda, or albino) + 2-3 otocinclus + 1 bristlenose pleco. Bottom-dwellers help cycle the substrate biology before mid + top fish.
Step 5: Stock week 5 - schoolingPick ONE schooling species: 12-15 cardinal tetras, OR 12 ember tetras, OR 10 rummy nose tetras, OR 8 harlequin rasboras. Don't mix small schools - one big school looks better.
Step 6: Stock week 6 - centerpieceOne feature fish: dwarf gourami, pearl gourami pair, German blue ram pair, OR a school of 6 pencilfish. Don't add more than one centerpiece species.
Step 7: Weekly maintenanceSaturday: 25% water change (10 gallons), gravel vac substrate, wipe glass, replace filter floss monthly. Trim plants every 2-3 weeks. Test ammonia + nitrate weekly while learning the tank.
Step 8: Year 2+Once stable, the tank maintains itself. Replace heater at 24 months as preventive maintenance. Replace canister filter media monthly (mechanical only - never disturb biological media).