That's a silent or plant cycle, and many newcomers don't want live plants. In this case, a fishless cycle using ammonia is better than cycling with fish.
Has anybody used this ammonia?
- Thread starter emualex
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Plants are vital to tank balance and to fishes well-being.
What is better for fish is patience.
Many people want plastic or silk plants. They want dayglo decor so plastic plants give the colour they want; the tank is for their children who want Spongebob decor and no plants; they are scared of live plants thinking they won't be able to keep them alive. And many other reasons.
My feelings exactlyHello
Why don't you let Mother Nature in charge of cycling ?
Is it this tedious to wait 4 little weeks ? Yet it allows to observe and notice the changes in the aquarium...
I use this method to, in 10 days you can start adding fish
A lot of these people need to be educated into what makes a stable healthy environment for keeping fish. The tank you describe above is for advanced hobbyists.
What a pity and sadness. Especially when we know how education is important to children and the way our planet is suffocating because of plastic and derivatives...
When I first had fish it never occurred to me that I could have live plants, mine were plastic 
I tried a few live plants but they all died - even duckweed. I swapped all the plastic plants for silk ones, then finally discovered live plants that didn't die. So now I have only wood and live plants as decor in my tanks.
I was sceptical of claims that plants can remove all the ammonia made by fish, but when I set up my quarantine tank last year I used only live plants, and a small filter filled with filter floss just to move the water round. I never saw any ammonia or nitrite. If I were to set up another permanent tank, I would definitely do a silent (plant) cycle now.
I tried a few live plants but they all died - even duckweed. I swapped all the plastic plants for silk ones, then finally discovered live plants that didn't die. So now I have only wood and live plants as decor in my tanks.I was sceptical of claims that plants can remove all the ammonia made by fish, but when I set up my quarantine tank last year I used only live plants, and a small filter filled with filter floss just to move the water round. I never saw any ammonia or nitrite. If I were to set up another permanent tank, I would definitely do a silent (plant) cycle now.
Of course ! This IS the more natural way to set an aquarium !
You could try ammonia chloride. It is sold for use in aquariums.
There is also ammonia carbonate a solid that was once commonly used as baking powder.
I have not used these products but they are probably the best choice today for pure source of ammonia. Nearly everything you buy in stores has additives which you don't want in an aquarium.
A third option is to use urea CO(NH2)2. I have read and verified that when urea is dissolved in water and heated to a boil it converts to ammonia. I have not cycled a tank since I have learned this so I have not tried it. But I have used solid urea carefully in my aquarium as a source of nitrogen fertilizer. Which does work well.
There is also ammonia carbonate a solid that was once commonly used as baking powder.
I have not used these products but they are probably the best choice today for pure source of ammonia. Nearly everything you buy in stores has additives which you don't want in an aquarium.
A third option is to use urea CO(NH2)2. I have read and verified that when urea is dissolved in water and heated to a boil it converts to ammonia. I have not cycled a tank since I have learned this so I have not tried it. But I have used solid urea carefully in my aquarium as a source of nitrogen fertilizer. Which does work well.
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Using plants does keep ammonia ammonia down but it doesn't really cycle the tank. The plants simply consume the ammonia first. So ammonai consuming bacteria may not colonize the tank. But for this to work you need to be sure your plants are growing well before you add fish. If the plants cannot grow due to a nutrient deficiency they will not consume ammonia. A lot ofpeole have problems gettting plants to grow. So I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you have experience growing plants.
I agree, this is the reason I always mention fishless cycling first for a new fish keeper. When I first had fish I could not keep plants alive, and that included duckweed!
I know the tank doesn't cycle as such with plants as only a minimal amount of bacteria grow in the background. I am also aware that these micro-organisms are not all bacteria. But using the words 'cycling' and 'bacteria' as catch-all terms keeps it simpler for newcomers to the hobby, who have a lot to take in.
I know the tank doesn't cycle as such with plants as only a minimal amount of bacteria grow in the background. I am also aware that these micro-organisms are not all bacteria. But using the words 'cycling' and 'bacteria' as catch-all terms keeps it simpler for newcomers to the hobby, who have a lot to take in.
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