Adding Plants To The Aquarium?

[mcdanielnc89]

when would i add the plants to the aquarium?

 

[Themuleous]

Whenever you like!

 

[three-fingers]

Just make sure you know what type your buying! A lot of the plants sold in many pet stores (including petsmart) are non-aquatic, and will slowly die after a while . Stick to plants that you recognise as 100% aquatic, like elodea and such .

 

[mcdanielnc89]

i dont have to let the tank cycle first?

 

[stang1]

No, you can add them while the ank is still cycling.

 

[mcdanielnc89]

hmm
ok
ty

 

[arif_93]

Add plants wenever u want
the day mt tank arrived i got the plants aswell
so i washed the tank and layed 1 1/2 inch of tetraplant substrate na don top i put geosystem river black gravel and i filled the tank up halfway planted the tank and then filled the water up the rest of the way added dechlorinator turned everything on and it was ready.
it is advisable to add plants during the cycling period it will help to cycle the tank quicker and also plants will remove nitrates etc.

 

[Underwurlde]

Actually, adding plants to a cycling tank will slow down or even stop the cycling process depending on type and quantity of plants etc. This is because plants take up ammonium, nitrites & nitrates: The Ammonium & nitrates that would otherwise be used to feed the growing bacterial colony in the filters (the cycling 'process').

It is argued therefore that you do not have to cycle a new tank that is fully planted: Plants in on day one, full stock of fish on day two. The fish feed the plants, in other words, the plants (and substrate) are the filter. This is best left to experienced plant growers.....


Andy

 

[Themuleous]

What Andy says is true, however, I wont not add the fish on the 2nd day, the plants need time to adapt before the start growing and taking in NH3, which can take a week. I would also say that you have to have LOTS of plants in order to do it.

Sam

 

[arif_93]

go to the pfk website i watched the video on hwo to set up a planted nano and i followed he exact steps they did


i havent added my fish and i wont do so for atleast 1 month

 

[Dave Spencer]

I was able to add Otos and Amanos (both considered to be a delicate species) to a week old tank that had 75% substrate coverage with fast growers. It is an EI tank, so plant growth was pretty rapid and I was never able to measure any Ammonia or nitrite.

Provided you have a sufficent plant mass that is healthy and growing, you can add fish once you have had pearling plants for a few days.

If you wish, you could cycle the tank without plants, but once you start to add them you will deprive your bacteria colony of a large % of Ammonia and nitrite. The bacteria numbers will reduce, making a cycle without the plants a waste of time IMO.

Dave.