New fish in tank beginners 🐠

[Smile3]

Hello the children have been wanting fish for a long time and a friend of a friend was getting rid of a tank and we gladly took it. Now I'm planning on ringing pet shop to book a appointment to buy our new fish. What do I need to do to prep the tank? Do I need to buy anything before hand? Help pls...p.s we wont forget about them and let them die, just want to get it right for the kids. Thanks

Read all you can. Google “cycling a tank” if you don’t like clicking links.

fishlab.com/how-to-cycle-aquarium/

Oh wow thank you,Lots to learn!
I knew it wasn't as simple as filling the bowl with water like my parents did when I was little no wonder they didn't last long

Thanks for this information @CodMouth. Not my thread but I knew Mumsnet would have the answer when I came looking today!

Got new fish a few weeks ago, we lost one already and it seems I have been Fish-in-cycle already but not removing enough water. The people in the aquatics shops have been full of bad advice so far. Telling me I am changing the water too often and stopping the bacteria growing, but when the amoinia/nitrite level matches that with the skull and cross, I'm not sure what else they expect at that point. Seems I was right to keep changing and keep adding the bacteria until it gets to the right levels. The amonia problem is fixed, just working on the nitrites now.

I'm a complete novice at fish keeping and read all I could on the internet. There is conflicting advice, which is obviously confusing. I didn't know it was all so scientific!
I have 6 tiny fish and one shrimp, (the others were sucked into the filter). So far everything is looking ok. I have put the toe of a pair of tights over the filter, so hopefully I won't lose my one remaining shrimp, and I'm hoping to get some more.

Sorry you lost some of the shrimp @CeliaJ what style filter is it? Sometimes the filters in smaller tanks are a bit over powered but shrimp should be able to keep away from them.