I have always added fish to my tanks the very day that they are setup. Never lost a fish b/c of it either. You need fish in the tank to get the cycle going anyway( I know you can use ammonia but really, why would you?) Fill tank, add fish and just monitor the levels and don't over feed, no big deal.
Yes you can do this with a few fish but if you overstock like on the show, then death for the fish is inevitable
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app