My tank has been up and running for a week or so just stablizing...in the meantime, I have a huge plant order that's coming within 2 weeks max. I was wondering if it would be alright if I added my first school of fish (ie: 6 zebras in my 20G and a small school or either corys or algae eaters) tonight along with my Bio Spira, then planting the aquarium? Or should I wait for the plants to come in before I add anything. (Yes I'm a bit impatient)
There actually is no such thing as stabilizing. The bacteria you want to grow can't grow without food. Here is a link on fishless cycling
It takes a lot shorter to cycle without fish (from about 2 weeks to 2 months-mine took a little over a month) than with fish (3 months) Yes, bio-spira might help, and it doesn't matter when to add plants.
Hi, plants will be ok in a week old tank but 6 of any kind of fish in a week old tank will equal deaths unless you have researched into cycling with fish.
BTW, the only thing that will have possibly 'stabilised' in a week is the sediment from your substrate
Please consider reading and following the pinned posts on FISHLESS cycling
I can understand where you might be impatient! After setting up a tank and waiting for two weeks for plants to arrive, I'd be impatient too!
I would guess that it wouldn't matter if you added the plants before or after the Bio Spira, but I think I'd get the plants in first. That way, I wouldn't be putting my hands in the tank or doing anything else that might possibly interfere with the workings of the product.
I've heard both good and bad results using Bio Spira and would be very interested in learning of your experience with it. Please keep it refrigerated, follow the directions exactly, and let us know how it goes.
