My Fishless Cycling Log

[Falling Ash]

If you have plants in there during the fishless cycle, be careful not to run too many hours of lights. Ammonia plus light is what triggers algae spores to change into active algae and it can be a real problem in fishless cycling tanks. Many of the members here can help you with lighting advice. A new tank is also very devoid of nutrition for plants, so that may be another detail to discuss with the members.

~~waterdrop~~

Thanks for opening my eyes to this. I've done a bit of research and now I'm very confused. I'm gonna get some sleep and reassess the situation in the morning.

 

[Falling Ash]

I've just stumbled upon this thread http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/299827-why-we-should-not-fishless-cycle-planted-tanks/ and now I'm panicking!

 

[KittyKat]

Nice, thanks again for the helpful input. I'll try not to spam as much now, unless it's important. I'll just update the first post . During the cycle I'm going to research which type of fish will be suitable for this tank size, and how many. Any suggestions / what to avoid gladly welcomed!

My usual recommendation for this size tank is...
* 10 espei rasboras OR ember tetras
* 1 Betta splendens OR 1 small gourami (dwarf or honey) (and/)OR shrimp - shrimp can be hit and miss with Bettas and gouramis

I've just stumbled upon this thread http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/299827-why-we-should-not-fishless-cycle-planted-tanks/ and now I'm panicking!

Why are you panicking?

 

[Skins]

Hello Ash.
Like KK said "why are you panicking?"

Keith.

 

[Falling Ash]

Thank you for the recommendations Kitty Kat!

I was panicking because I don't know what to do with the plants / how long to have the light on per day / I've read plants can cause algae which can stop the cycle all together / and then I heard about silent cycling which confused me even more / should I move them to a little fish tank that I have until the cycle is finished?

 

[Skins]

Thank you for the recommendations Kitty Kat!

I was panicking because I don't know what to do with the plants / how long to have the light on per day / I've read plants can cause algae which can stop the cycle all together / and then I heard about silent cycling which confused me even more / should I move them to a little fish tank that I have until the cycle is finished?

If it was me then i would put them in your other tank for now. I know other members have cycled with plants in at the same time and have reduced the length of time the lights are left on to reduce algea build up, but by how much i'm not sure. Kitty Kat has a lot more experience than me and would be able to support you better if you wish to keep the plants where they are, why not wait for her responce this may save you the hassle of relocating your plants.

Keith.

 

[waterdrop]

The understanding of "silent cycling" (of the sort Dave nicely describes in his writeup) is very important to people who come in seeking to enter the "planted tank hobby" and is also very important as a powerful learning experience for all who seek greater understanding within the hobby as a whole.. BUT, it can be a bit of a red herring for beginners who just seek to learn how to start up and run what I call a typical "community tank" and get through their first year or so. (I feel you fall into this category because from your tank pictures in this thread you have nowhere near the plant density that Dave is discussing in that article.)

The first thing to understand is that the term "planted tank" can have a special meaning in the world of the aquarium hobby. Many beginners think this just refers to a tank with some live plants in it, as opposed to artifical or no plants. In my opinion it refers to what is almost a whole separate hobby which, at its more extreme, involves hundreds more dollars/pounds of specialized equipment and supplies (bear with me here, planted people) and can be much more focused on the plants than the fish. One such branch of the planted hobby for instance involves pressurized CO2 tanks, regulators, diffusers, high throughput filters, special lights, special fertilizers and the like.

Now, to be fair, the reality of plants in aquariums is really a continuum from simple to complex with several major branches or approaches to success, certain ones popular with certain individuals at any given moment. Hopefully all beginners who want to will eventually learn good practices that bring them success with plants, and virtually all the info that the planted folks can share helps us to that end. However, for the rank beginner trying to have a successful startup of a first year "community tank" (for lack of a better generalizing term, lol) I still find the true planted tank topic to be a tiny bit too much to handle, just sometimes pushes one over the top in the number of new things to be absorbed. (and I'm one of the ones guilty here of introducing it, lol, by talking about the algae, sorry!)

Anyway, there are much simpler ways of having a good amount of success with the live plants in your first tank without jumping in to the full complications of the planted tank hobby (not that there aren't people who do indeed come in wanting to do that and that's ok!) I'd focus on your fishless cycle and getting the full learning of biofilters and a beginning on the art of making stocking plans and of learning good freshwater maintenance practice and just take on small bits of learning about plant care.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Falling Ash]

Thanks a lot for taking the time to give me that information, you cleared up a lot of things.

This is unrelated but, I read that the bacteria I'm trying to grow like oxygen, so I turned on the air bubble feature on my filter, this is causing little splashes of water to hit the aquarium light. Is this dangerous, will it damage the light? Should I turn of the air bubble? Thanks again

 

[Skins]

Thanks a lot for taking the time to give me that information, you cleared up a lot of things.

This is unrelated but, I read that the bacteria I'm trying to grow like oxygen, so I turned on the air bubble feature on my filter, this is causing little splashes of water to hit the aquarium light. Is this dangerous, will it damage the light? Should I turn of the air bubble? Thanks again

Mine catches the light, What tank have you got?

Keith.

 

[Falling Ash]

Well hopefully it should be fine then, my tank is kind of a rip off of the Interpet Fishbox 65 litre, but it's a Maidenhead Aquatics own brand / joint brand with Interpet. It doesn't have anything to guard the light though.

 

[Skins]

Well hopefully it should be fine then, my tank is kind of a rip off of the Interpet Fishbox 65 litre, but it's a Maidenhead Aquatics own brand / joint brand with Interpet. It doesn't have anything to guard the light though.

Mine dosn't either but where the lights electrics are its all sealed, only problem i get is now and again having to wipe the tubes from all the dried up splash marks.

Keith.

 

[Falling Ash]

I've got a bloody snail on my plant LOL, should I leave it in? I guess it's something to look at while I wait for fish. Unless they're harmful to the tank?

 

[Little_Nemo]

I've got a bloody snail on my plant LOL, should I leave it in? I guess it's something to look at while I wait for fish. Unless they're harmful to the tank?

I had a snail in my tank from when I had plants in there, I just fished it out.

 

[waterdrop]

Those of us that have had large unsightly infestations of snails in tanks when we were new to the hobby have learned to start battling them right away (assuming they are not a larger variety we purchased and wanted of course (certainly nothing wrong with snails as far as the ecosystem goes.)) I know in my own case if I'm not going to quarantine new plants then I've been known to work really hard to study every little leaf and remove snail eggs and snails!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[KittyKat]

I, on the other hand, am a fan of all snails except ramshorns. I find most snails a good indicator of the general state of the tank (problem in the tank often cause problems with snails). For example, overfeeding will often result in the snail population explosion.

I exclude ramshorns from the list because I have found that they will keep breeding uncontrolably, well past the point where they die of starvation.