Cycling With Live Plants In Tank

[AnimalNstinct]

Hello Everyone,

I set up my first 10 gallon aquarium about a week ago. I originally bought it because I had 3 fish living in a 2 gallon which I quickly learned was a no-no. I came to this website trying to learn all I could to fix my mistakes, but sadly I lost my final fish the other day. I was doing daily water changes to make up for not cycling the tank and when I went to transfer my last fish to my newly purchased 10 gallon I discovered he had passed away.

I would love to set up this aquarium, but I do not want that to happen again so I'm doing lots of research and triple checking everything I'm doing first. I would like to put my betta into the aquarium, but I don't know what fish are communal with a male betta yet. Also, I want to be sure and have everything properly set up for him and his possible new tank pals before doing so.

My first question for everyone is that I'm currently cycling the tank with just fish food, but if I add some ammonia will it effect the live plants in the tank? I currently have a few live plants including a few bulbs waiting to sprout. Also, 2 of the bulbs I have look like they have molded over and I was wondering if this was normal or should I pull them out? The bulbs molding I believe are water lilies.

Also, do you have any other advice or tips on the quickest route for cycling my tank? I also was wondering what steps should I take to prepare introducing my male betta and fish he'll get along with?


Here is the betta who will move in:

The Tank:

The mold / fuzzy stuff on bulb:

Thank you guys!

 

[mike455555]

i dont know about the bulbs but if them green plants are alive there not aquatic. try getting an amazon sword (they look a little like that type of plant)

 

[pablothebetta]

I don't know much about plants, but from what I've read from other threads, I'm not sure if those plants are fully aquatic. The mould could be them rotting, I'm not sure. They look like a plant commonly sold for aquariums but are actually semi-aquatic.

There isn't really a 'quick' way to properly cycle a tank unless you have a pre-existing well established aquarium. I advise you getting some household ammonia and looking up fishless cycling. I believe there is a thread on this site about it. There's no real way of telling how long it will take, could be 2 weeks, could be a month. That's generally just how it goes.

If you want live plants, I'd recommend some hardy ones low-tech ones. You may want to consider java fern, java moss, anubias and some crypt species. The fern, moss and anubias will need attatching to something as their rizhomes must have water circulation around them in order for the plant to survive, though crypts can be planted straight into the substrate. Hygrophilia Polysperms is another hardy plant I have had great success with myself in my low tech tank. Mine must have grown about 8cm in 10 days - I've already trimmed it.

Don't add your fish or any inhabitants until your tank is fully cycled. You will need to buy a test kit for cycling your tank, unless you are prepared to pay a LFS regular visits for some time (many fish stores will test your water for you, sometimes for a small fee, sometimes for free).

If you wanted to add other fish with the betta, a group of microrasbora, male endlers or dwarf corys should be ok. The corys would need a sand substrate instead of the gravel, though.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

try getting an amazon sword

These plants get huge. I had one taking up over a quarter of a 75 gal. tank.

Your plant looks like a variegated spider lily (Hymenocallis carrbaea) which is a bog plant.


Adding ammonia is how one best accomplishes a fishless cycle. However, plants also eat ammonia. The more plants one has in a tank, the less bacteria one needs to handle ammonia as the amount produced is reduced by what the pants take up.

 

[AnimalNstinct]

Thanks for the replies everyone and sorry It took me so long to get back to everyone. I started a new job and I've been pretty busy. Anyhow, I found out the plants you see in the tank are white ribbon plants and I read that they are fully aquatic. They still look great and seem to be growing a bit as well. I also did take out the as I believe they were molding and useless.

My tank completely cycled and I went ahead and added fish yesterday and they seem to be doing fantastic. I introduced a male betta and a hifin plecostomus. I know the plec will be getting rather large, but at the moment he is barely 2 inches in length and will be upgraded as he grows. I'm planning to set up a few larger tanks when we get into our new place.

The plec is doing fantastic, but my Betta is being a bit crazy. I think my betta is seeing his reflection and is trying to fight himself. He's been at it since he first went in and is biting, flaring, and darting around like mad. I'm worried this will cause him to much stress and I was wondering if anyone had ideas on what to do with the mirroring?

 

[fluttermoth]

I'm sorry to sound like a misery guts, but those plants aren't aquatic; whoever told you that, or where ever you read it, it's just plain wrong.

And I very strongly recommend you return the sailfin plec, ASAP. 'Rather large' is the understatement of the year! It will grow to 18"/2 feet long and need a 6x2x2 tank long term, not to mention the massive amounts of waste it will produce, which will most likely strain your filtration system to the limit.

I'm afraid I can't help you with the betta, I haven't kept them for donkey's years.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

To answer your original question, cycling a tank with plants in is perfectly safe to the plants.

 

[CezzaXV]

I'm sorry to sound like a misery guts, but those plants aren't aquatic; whoever told you that, or where ever you read it, it's just plain wrong.

Agreed. Try Googling white ribbon plants, you'll see very quickly they're not aquatic. If nothing else, Google brings up some lovely images of said plant happily enjoying a windowsill in its pot.

 

[AnimalNstinct]

Thanks guys for the responses. I'm going to go ahead and get rid of those plants today and pick up something else from the LPS. I'll just have to throw these in with my tarantulas.

I'm going to keep the plec because I have a 55 gallon he can go into when get grows a bit more and then I'll move him into my 90 gallon. I originally bought that for a pipa pipa, but I'll just get another one when I can. I really like him and don't feel right just returning him. I don't mind providing him with a proper home and I'll do my best to do so.

Maybe I'll ask about my Betta in the betta section in hopes a betta guru will see it, lol. I really appreciate the advice and I'm ripping those plants out right away!

 

[fluttermoth]

Ok, sounds like you have things under control then, good to hear you can cope with the plec. Not many people are prepared for that!

Hope it all goes well; keep us posted

 

[AnimalNstinct]

Thanks for your help I really appreciate it! Do you think the 90 gallon will be ok for when he is full grown or should I look at possibly upgrading beyond that for him?

 

[fluttermoth]

What dimensions is the 90g? He'd probably be ok in a 6x2x2'; they do normally either stop or slow down growing at 18" or so, and they're not madly active, though they do take it into themselves to thrash about a bit sometimes.