When To Add Live Plants

[mmccx]

When I start my cycling on Friday at what point if any during the cycle would be a good time to add live plants?

Cheers

Karl

 

[FishyWishie]

Imho once its finished ! I added my initial plants during my cycle and I can't begin to tell you the problems my plants had with the ammonia levels being so high for so long. Theres no benefit to adding the now tbh especially as you want to keep your cycle as simple as you can for taking readings. (The plants will absorb some ammonia as fertiliser so it may give you slightly scewed readings.

just my 2 cents.

 

[mmccx]

Cheers for your advice, very helpful

another question if I may then, is it a good idea to add additional ornaments such as wood etc during cycling? and does wood tend to colour the water? I want to go as natural as possible yet keep the water as clear as I possibly can.

 

[Libbyd23]

Yip I'd agree with FishyWishie. I'd wait until your tank is cycled. I recently got a new bigger aquarium and before I bought plants I asked about and got mixed responses whether to have plants during a cycle. So I thought I'd give it a try. I got plants then started cycling and now they're all dying off there hasn't been any knock on effect on the cycle... yet. So rather than give yourself more hassle than it's worth, I'd hold off til you're fully cycled.

 

[FishyWishie]

Wood again isn't a great idea as bogwood can drop the PH level a bit when during a cycle were trying to keep it up if we possibly can. With regards to ornaments (non wood) be careful not from a cycle point of view but the high ammonia levels can bleach anything plastic ruining there colours if there in there for any long period.

 

[mmccx]

what about thinks like slate then and rocks then?

i currently have some plastic ornaments in the tank, would it be a good idea to take them out when i begin cycling until its finished?

 

[Aqua Tom]

what about thinks like slate then and rocks then?

i currently have some plastic ornaments in the tank, would it be a good idea to take them out when i begin cycling until its finished?

It is up to you. They wont effect the cycle but will look a bit gungy at the end. Personaly I would keep the ornaments in there as a plain tank can be quite boring to look at.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Wood again isn't a great idea as bogwood can drop the PH level a bit when during a cycle were trying to keep it up if we possibly can. With regards to ornaments (non wood) be careful not from a cycle point of view but the high ammonia levels can bleach anything plastic ruining there colours if there in there for any long period.

I had three bits of bogwood in my tank during the cycle & they did not lower the ph at all, mine is high anyway 8.2. I think it only realy lowers ph if it is still leaching tannins. I could be wrong though.

I cant see ammonia at 4-5ppm "bleaching" the ornaments. If you put them in a bucket of 9.5% solution then maybe, but not at that low dosage.

 

[FishyWishie]

Thw wood shouldnt crash yout PH as such but depending on its current level it may drop it slightly. Having had a difficult cycle when I did it last year I'm a big fan of keeping the cycle as simple as possible and having as few variiables as possible.

It does in some cases I had a blueish broken pipe ornament in during my cycle now binned and it was faded quite badly due to the ammonia it didnt bleach all the colour out by any means but it def faded the colours. On the other hand the resin u-boar now also removed lol wasnt affected.

Slate/rocks etc wouldnt affect the cycle unless they the rock was say limestone or something that would affect the Ph