OK, so here's my plan for the next step: populating the tank. I've got over a week left until the waters in my tank are normalized for fish habitation. At that time, I'm going to buy three Neon Tetras. That's it.

They're the pioneers who, with the food I feed them, will pollute, interact with, and modify the habitat so that the BIO-Wheel filter and friendly bacteria can thrive for the addition of new fish.

I will give my three pioneers 36 days to make their mark. After that, I will add three more Neon Tetras. Beyond that, I have no plans. 6 Neon Tetras creating a home in a 10-gallon tank will be precisely how I want to start: slowly and carefully.