New To This - Help Please :)

[Akasha72]

Hi, I'm fairly new to all this. I've had my fish about 3 months now (in a 26litre starter tank) but I was recently given a 2ft tank. I've moved my fish over and am currently doing a fish in cycle as I had to get a better filter for the bigger tank.
I have male and female guppies and platies and I was advised to plant the tank up richly to give the fry somewhere to hide. I've planted one corner with cabomba? and another that I can't remember the name of (it begins with E?) and the fish seem to really like that corner of the tank.

My main questions would be regarding the other corner where my filter and heater are situated. Can I plant that corner too? Will plants affect my filter or get scorched by the heater? Ideally it would be nice to disguise the filter and heater with plants but I don't want to affect the filter or heater from doing their job.

Hoping someone can help

Akasha72

 

[mike455555]

i think the plants would be fine =] as for the filter are you running your old one as well?... you could put that in the water as a extra / some of the batiera

 

[Akasha72]

the old tank had one of those under gravel trays and a bubble stone. I've kept the bubble stone for emergencies but the rest was passed on to a friend. The advice I was given was not to put the under gravel tray into the bigger tank. It caused a few problems with ammonia (you may have seen my other posts) but it's starting to pick up slowly now.

I suppose another sensible question would be 'would more plants help the cycling along or is it best to wait until it's done?'

 

[mike455555]

plants would take the nitrates out of the water a little... but the bacteria would still need to build up. so down to you

 

[Akasha72]

okay, thanks. I think I really need to get another layer of aquarium gravel in there first so it'll be astep by step process. By the time I can get some more gravel and wash it (in some old tank water - not killing off that bacteria now after all these water changes!) and get it in my cycle may well have done.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated