Cycling A Tank, When To Add Plants?

[upsy daisy]

So, in your opinion, when is the ideal time to add plants to an aquarium? I have been cycling for about a month now, would the plants survive if I added them about now?

 

[Dan-CR4]

i added some plants on day 21 of my cycle and i have just reached day 31, so far its been fine for me and the plants are doing ok but i got mine given to me and did not want to waste them. im no expert so maybe get some more advice from the more experianced members on here.

you can see the history of my cycle by clickig on the link in my signature.

Danny

 

[waterdrop]

In my opinion, most beginner tanks where the focus is on learning to keep tropical fish (as opposed to someone primarily getting directly into the separate hobby of "planted tanks" where the tanks are very heavily planted) will do a little better if the plants wait to go in at about the time when the fish go in. Part of the reason is that the fish waste itself will be a major provider of many of the 17 nutrients needed by the plants and in a beginner tank its unlikely that you would buy the equipment (more powerful lights and special gas tanks and regulators to deliver CO2) that would drive plant growth to the extent that you'd necessarily be dosing these nutrients separately in a big way. An additional reason is that there has been some concern expressed that some plant species (despite being able to absorb ammonia) may be harmed by the ammonia levels we use to cycle the tank.

There are many sides to this but this is my particular feeling about it.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Dan-CR4]

I will add, that i would have waited til my tank was cycled before adding plants but the plants i got were free and was going to be destoyed if i did not have them. so i took a chance knowing they could die or be damaged.

 

[Ferg1985]

For my 65 litre I added the plants on day 1 of a fishless cycle, I did lose two but whether that was down to me and the cycling or the fact I bought unsuitable plants for my aquarium I don't know. For my main tank (which I'll start this week ) I can't afford the lighting yet which is good in that it ensures I'll get it set up slowly and properly, so I won't be adding plants til way over 30 days, if not closer to 60, but again that is only because of my finances and not based on any knowledge or guidance.

 

[Twinklecaz]

I'm planning to add mine when I do my 90% water change in my qualifying week. Don't know if that's ideal but that's when I'm gonna do it lol.

 

[Truck]

Add the plants once the cycle has finished to eliminate any risks of algae.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, Truck brings up a good point that I forgot. In order to grow the plants they would need to have light (at least 4 hours, maybe 8 hours) and when you add light to a body of water that has available ammonia (even in tiny amounts our kits can't detect, much less a fishless cycling tank with loads of ammonia(!)) all the algae spores that happen to be in there will be triggered to start being an algae plant (gee, I wonder what that's called? Many need to look up some algae science, lol) and you'll potentially have an algae festival on your hands.

When most beginners add some plants to their new tank, its usually less than a heavily planted tank and its usually devoid of some of the nutrients the plants need. Thus, its very common for the plants, at the very least, to not "take off" and start to grow strongly. This leaves leftover nutrients for triggered algae cells to use to keep going and helps them even further.

~~waterdrop~~