Just Completed Fishless Cycle, Can I Now Put In Rock And Bogwood?

[varadero]

Readings are PH 7.6, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 5.

I have some rock bought from the fish store and boiled along with a small piece of bogwood which was also boiled, so my question is are they ready to put in the tank along with one or two live plants before I put some shrimp in tomorrow?

 

[Electric Warrior]

Yeah, it would be completely fine. I waited to put anything into my tank until after finished my cycle and was ready to add the fish. I did the big 90% WC, put everything in, and added the fish that evening. I have several decent size pieces of bogwood, plants, and almond leaves in my tank, and I added everything at once. My PH out of the tap is 7.2, but in my tank it is 6.6. I attribute this to a bit of the bogwood, the almond leaves, and the fact that I have very soft water. Just keep testing your parameters everyday for the first week or so, and you should be fine. When are going to add the fish? Keep in mind that you need to keep providing a source of ammonia until the day before you add fish.

 

[varadero]

Yeah, it would be completely fine. I waited to put anything into my tank until after finished my cycle and was ready to add the fish. I did the big 90% WC, put everything in, and added the fish that evening. I have several decent size pieces of bogwood, plants, and almond leaves in my tank, and I added everything at once. My PH out of the tap is 7.2, but in my tank it is 6.6. I attribute this to a bit of the bogwood, the almond leaves, and the fact that I have very soft water. Just keep testing your parameters everyday for the first week or so, and you should be fine. When are going to add the fish? Keep in mind that you need to keep providing a source of ammonia until the day before you add fish.

Cheers.

I thought the big water change was to lower Nitrate level, is it necessary if my nitrate level is already so low?

 

[r.d.bid]

How long did it take for your tank to cycle?

 

[Electric Warrior]

Yeah, it would be completely fine. I waited to put anything into my tank until after finished my cycle and was ready to add the fish. I did the big 90% WC, put everything in, and added the fish that evening. I have several decent size pieces of bogwood, plants, and almond leaves in my tank, and I added everything at once. My PH out of the tap is 7.2, but in my tank it is 6.6. I attribute this to a bit of the bogwood, the almond leaves, and the fact that I have very soft water. Just keep testing your parameters everyday for the first week or so, and you should be fine. When are going to add the fish? Keep in mind that you need to keep providing a source of ammonia until the day before you add fish.

Cheers.

I thought the big water change was to lower Nitrate level, is it necessary if my nitrate level is already so low?

Well, yeah, it is... But you didn't mention anything about the fish, so you need to keep adding ammonia until you add fish. Usually the ammonia will also cause the nitrate to surge, so that is what I was referring to. Do you have fish in now, or not?

 

[snazy]

Yeah, it would be completely fine. I waited to put anything into my tank until after finished my cycle and was ready to add the fish. I did the big 90% WC, put everything in, and added the fish that evening. I have several decent size pieces of bogwood, plants, and almond leaves in my tank, and I added everything at once. My PH out of the tap is 7.2, but in my tank it is 6.6. I attribute this to a bit of the bogwood, the almond leaves, and the fact that I have very soft water. Just keep testing your parameters everyday for the first week or so, and you should be fine. When are going to add the fish? Keep in mind that you need to keep providing a source of ammonia until the day before you add fish.

Cheers.

I thought the big water change was to lower Nitrate level, is it necessary if my nitrate level is already so low?

It looks like you haven't cycled your tank? It's impossible to have 5ppm nitrates after a fishless(pure ammonia) cycle without a water change.

Also, boiling rocks is very dangerous, they can explode. Boiling bogwood can damage the wood and it can start falling apart in your tank eventually. The best is to wash it with boiling water and soak it for a couple of weeks if it's leaking tannins and you don't like brown water in your tank.