Hello everyone

[WhistlingBadger]

Sheesh, I'm just happy if I'm on the correct day of the week.

 

[Retired Viking]

Hello and

 

[Cydeth]

I might do that. I'm dithering over all the options. However, I have already ordered some plants and I'm not sure they count as 'fast growing'. I wasn't well advised, or advised much at all, at the shop so need more substrate so that the plants can anchor well too. I think I may be tweaking the tank for a little while yet and hopefully it will mature a little in that time. Are water changes helpful before fish are introduced?

Welcome to the forum, if you have any questions you will always find somebody here with the ability and willingness to help you, so ask away.

With regards to your plants, if you can list the names of them we can tell you if they are fast growing or not. That will let us advise you of the best way to cycle the tank for your future fish.

 

[Sunnyspots]

Welcome to the forum, if you have any questions you will always find somebody here with the ability and willingness to help you, so ask away.

With regards to your plants, if you can list the names of them we can tell you if they are fast growing or not. That will let us advise you of the best way to cycle the tank for your future fish.

Hello Cydeth. I have Echinodorus parviflorus, Alternanthera rosaefolia mini, Lilaeopsis novea zealandia, Salvinia natans. A Saggitaria and a couple more foreground plants are coming in the post and I don't remember what they are beyond one is a moss-like thing.
I've ordered some ammonia so I can get on with it!

 

[Cydeth]

Hello Cydeth. I have Echinodorus parviflorus, Alternanthera rosaefolia mini, Lilaeopsis novea zealandia, Salvinia natans. A Saggitaria and a couple more foreground plants are coming in the post and I don't remember what they are beyond one is a moss-like thing.
I've ordered some ammonia so I can get on with it!

Hi, you've got a nice selection of plants there, although they are mostly slow to medium growth rate so it does make it a little harder to go for a silent cycle over a fishless one. You have ammonia on the way though so that shouldn't be a problem.

That salvinia is a great floating plant for mopping up extra nutrients in the water column, it's one of my favourites and always does a good job of out competing algae for me. My Otocinclus also love grazing in its shorter roots.

One word of warning about planted tanks during a fishless cycle though, sometimes the plants really don't like the increased level of ammonia and will die off.

I've just cycled a new tank and faced that problem, although the plants that didn't survive were mostly the more delicate ones. I can't see anything on your list that is particularly delicate, but I haven't put them through a cycle so I can't tell you they will survive for sure.

 

[Sunnyspots]

Hi, you've got a nice selection of plants there, although they are mostly slow to medium growth rate so it does make it a little harder to go for a silent cycle over a fishless one. You have ammonia on the way though so that shouldn't be a problem.

That salvinia is a great floating plant for mopping up extra nutrients in the water column, it's one of my favourites and always does a good job of out competing algae for me. My Otocinclus also love grazing in its shorter roots.

One word of warning about planted tanks during a fishless cycle though, sometimes the plants really don't like the increased level of ammonia and will die off.

I've just cycled a new tank and faced that problem, although the plants that didn't survive were mostly the more delicate ones. I can't see anything on your list that is particularly delicate, but I haven't put them through a cycle so I can't tell you they will survive for sure.

Thank you for the advice and warning. I bought most of the plants quite blind as the shop attendant wasn't attentive! I was going on appearance only, so not very scientific. I'll keep the ammonia levels fairly low, even if it makes the cycling longer, or end up replacing a few plants.
I bought some more wood today. I love the organic shapes. Hopefully it'll fit in well and provide some height to what I have. At this rate there'll be little space for fish!