Basically, you should put one or two really hardy fish in there at first, and don't overfeed them. It establishes good bacteria (this bacteria will help control the amounts of ammonia produced by fish's waste matter) in the tank. You can also add live plants, water or gravel from an established tank, etc, to make the process go faster. If you don't cycle a new tank first, the ammonia levels in the water will go unchecked, killing the fish.
Hope I helped with at least one of the things you wanted to do for other people. :)
Dying fish
http://www.worldcichlids.com/faqs/cycling.html
Basically, you should put one or two really hardy fish in there at first, and don't overfeed them. It establishes good bacteria (this bacteria will help control the amounts of ammonia produced by fish's waste matter) in the tank. You can also add live plants, water or gravel from an established tank, etc, to make the process go faster. If you don't cycle a new tank first, the ammonia levels in the water will go unchecked, killing the fish.
Hope I helped with at least one of the things you wanted to do for other people. :)