NO that is not how it goes. unless u are using a special cycle additive or used gravel and/or media from another tank, u MUST wait at least 5 weeks before putting fish in. yes those fish are good starters, but NONE of them can withstand ammonia & nitrite spikes that will happen during the cycle. the cycling doesn't start until AMMONIA is added. please add it in the form of raw fish or a few drops of pure ammonia-NOT live fish!
It's important to remember that if you don't put something in to seed the live cycle, you'll never get nitrifying bacteria. Fish will carry this bacteria into a new aquarium, as will rocks, gravel, water or plants from an already established aquarium.
Cycling the tank with a couple of drops of pure ammonia and a seed culture works quite well, and I agree this is a safe way to start a new tank. Of course, it will be very important to have good test kits to observe when the tank has truly cycled and all ammonia and nitrite are gone.
Stocking with a very small number of hardy fish can work fine, IMO, but it will be very important to feed very lightly and make frequent partial water changes. From there, when the tank has cycled, it's a good idea to only very slowly add more fish. It can take a while for nitrifying bacteria to build up to take on the waste from additional fish as they are added.
Another trick of the trade is to add a sponge filter in an already established tank for a couple of months. Running the sponge filter in an established tank will allow it to quickly be colonized with nitrifying bacteria. This sponge filter can then be used in the new aquarium, along with whatever filter you might intend to use permanently. Fish can be stocked, the new filter can be colonized, and with care there should be no ammonia spike at all. Eventaully the sponge filter can be removed and your permanent filter will take over.
Sorry about the long post. I kinda' got carried away!
