Fishless cycling and fish brainstorming

rebe said:

So be wary of yellow frogbit and discard ones that start to go brown? And as to overdoing it with the Seachem Flourish, would too much be following the instructions on the bottle, should I use a bit less?

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Yes on the Frogbit. If you have the tropical species it will sort itself out. I got the temperate species (labeled as tropical in the store) and it did struggle a bit more because of permanent higher temps, but even so I had it for a decade or more. It reproduced rapidly (floating plants do, normally) and flowered a couple times along the way which was how I discerned the temperate species. Aquarium plants are often difficult to ID without the flower, this applies to Vallisneria, crypts, some Echinodorus.

Be careful on fertilizer, it has to balance the light or algae will b encouraged. In a new tank, I never worried over the first dose, but going forward, less is better than more. The plants' response to everything is what you look for and use to judge things.

Byron said:

Yes on the Frogbit. If you have the tropical species it will sort itself out. I got the temperate species (labeled as tropical in the store) and it did struggle a bit more because of permanent higher temps, but even so I had it for a decade or more. It reproduced rapidly (floating plants do, normally) and flowered a couple times along the way which was how I discerned the temperate species. Aquarium plants are often difficult to ID without the flower, this applies to Vallisneria, crypts, some Echinodorus.

Be careful on fertilizer, it has to balance the light or algae will b encouraged. In a new tank, I never worried over the first dose, but going forward, less is better than more. The plants' response to everything is what you look for and use to judge things.

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Thanks again! I'm pretty sure I have the tropical frogbit, Limnobium laevigatum (it also says "tropica" on the label, and that's not the brand name).
My frogbit is starting to grow its roots down into the water, so that is a good sign. In a little container I have the frogbit I was wary of seperated. They're fully yellow not brown, but they are only single leaves without any root system. Do you think they would propagate if I put them with the others in the tank?

rebe said:

Thanks again! I'm pretty sure I have the tropical frogbit, Limnobium laevigatum (it also says "tropica" on the label, and that's not the brand name).
My frogbit is starting to grow its roots down into the water, so that is a good sign. In a little container I have the frogbit I was wary of seperated. They're fully yellow not brown, but they are only single leaves without any root system. Do you think they would propagate if I put them with the others in the tank?

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Keep them together, pick out the brown dead ones, let the others acclimate and grow. Use the Flourish Comprehensive, Frogbit is a substantial feeder and in a new tank there is minimal nutrients until the fish get fed later.

Hi all,
Some updates on my planted tank. The frogbit and hornwort are doing especially well. There is a lot of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate though. @Byron , I think you suggested that it could be the aqua soil before. I haven't added any source of ammonia (apart from the fish food I added on day 1, that I removed).
I tested the water just now and these were my readings:

• Ammonia: 1ppm
• Nitrite: 2ppm
• Nitrate: 10ppm

On day 1, my API liquid PH test gave me a reading of 6.9 PH, and a test strip read 6.8. The next day my liquid test said 7.8 PH, and the test strip still read as 6.8.

Today the liquid test said 7.6 PH and the test strip read as 7.2 PH.

While someone did say before that I might see an increase in PH level, I wanted to check in and see if this was normal. Also because I was getting different readings between the liquid and strip tests. Maybe I wasn't fast enough to mix the API test tube for the PH? Not sure what else I could be doing wrong.

It's clear that my tank isn't cycled yet from the test readings, but I'm not sure how much of the Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates are just leeching from the aqua soil.

What are your thoughts?

If you are not adding ammonia--and I certainly would not--it is the substrate.

The plants you have will take up the natural ammonia. They are not likely to use the nitrite or nitrate because this is for the plant extra wasted work. They take up ammonia/ammonium. Only when this becomes inadequate in balance with all other nutrients and light, will they turn to nitrite--and yes, there is some evidence that nitrite is their second choice. If that is insufficient in the balance, they then turn to nitrate. It apparently takes them about 24 hours to switch gears. So for both reasons, effort and time, they do not use nitrite or nitrate if they can avoid it. And I do not believe the light and other nutrients are anywhere near the level to push them over the change.

Just let things ride out.

Byron said:

If you are not adding ammonia--and I certainly would not--it is the substrate.

The plants you have will take up the natural ammonia. They are not likely to use the nitrite or nitrate because this is for the plant extra wasted work. They take up ammonia/ammonium. Only when this becomes inadequate in balance with all other nutrients and light, will they turn to nitrite--and yes, there is some evidence that nitrite is their second choice. If that is insufficient in the balance, they then turn to nitrate. It apparently takes them about 24 hours to switch gears. So for both reasons, effort and time, they do not use nitrite or nitrate if they can avoid it. And I do not believe the light and other nutrients are anywhere near the level to push them over the change.

Just let things ride out.

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Awesome, thanks so much! I'll just let the tank run its course then :]