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1. I am new to the hobby and believe I've made the classic beginner's error of overstocking my aquarium before it has completed its nitrogen cycle .

I have acquired a 20G tank to which I've introduced 2 cherry barbs, 4 zebra danios and a panda cory. They started the cycling process 2 days ago but after consulting your website and various others I now think I've introduced too many fish at once. What do you think?

2. Once cycling has completed would it be viable (hoping that my current fish survive) to add 2 rams, 6 cardinals and 2 more cories or would this be overstocking ?

Any advice would be helpful.

1. Watch the ammonia and nitrites in your tank. First the ammonia because it's way too early to have nitrites start showing up. Most likely you'll be doing 15-20% water changes about every day to try to keep it down. That is about all you can do right now.

2. It might be overstocking a little bit. Of course I'm someone who tends to understock tropicals a little I think. I've never kept cherry barbs, so I'm not sure if they prefer schools. If so, I'd say nix the tetras or rams and increase the barbs to a small shoal.

a pair of cherry barbs is fine...they will enjoy eachothers company as opposed to a school.

cherry barbs arent schoolers they prefer to b loners but a pair is ok as long as theres breaks in the line of sight
the stocking list sounds nice