When to add plants to a new tank

[africadan]

i brought a 30gallon tank a few days ago. I was going to wait a week before adding fish, but when do I add plants, is it ok after 3 days??

Thanks

Dan

 

[KentBlokey]

Yes, that'll be fine!!!

 

[paulthegreat]

Plants can pretty much go in right away but expect to lose some of them. I put in four different plants and have three of them are still there and they are thriving.

 

[africadan]

Thanks for the ideas, So my plan is tomorrow to go and buy lots of different plants, is it best to get all the plans I want and then add fish (Proabbly 4 danios) or to add plants at stages?

Thanks

Dan

 

[gale]

It should be fine to add the plants then wait a few days for the fish if you want to. Plants will be fine for a few days without the fish waste. You can put in all the plants you want all at once-it's not like stocking fish where you want to go slowly.

Why are you waiting to add fish? Just curious.

 

[africadan]

Im waiting to add fish as was under the impression that one had to wait a week before adding fish?

 

[gale]

You shouldn't need to wait that long. 24 hours should be ok. Did you add a dechlorinator to your tap water??

I don't know about other stores but around here their idea of cycling a tank is waiting 24 hours (or whatever) before adding your fish. It's not the same thing. After adding your 4 fish, don't add any more until your tank is fully cycled (read the pinned topics for more on that). Good luck!

 

[OohFeeshy]

OOI, what plants can I put in a 5 gallon tank with no lights and temperature fluncs? It will have a betta in it tomorrow mebbe

 

[gale]

OOI, what plants can I put in a 5 gallon tank with no lights and temperature fluncs? It will have a betta in it tomorrow mebbe

Does it get much natural light? Dwarf anubias require very little light. I'll probably put one in my bettas tank soon although he does have a light.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Umm.. A bit.

 

[paulthegreat]

If you are going to put in plants then they will need 10-12 hours of light a day, more then that and you get algea, less and the plants will suffer. Tetra Bactozym tabs will give you a cycled tank in a day or two. You can also ask your LFS to squeeze a filer in a bag and dump that in your tank, it will look like hell for a few hours but a good filter will fix the benificial bacteria pretty quick.

 

[africadan]

What does the Tetra Bactozym do?

 

[paulthegreat]

Bactozym tabs have the bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. I have also heard of one called pearls or something like that.