Just getting started

[itiwhetu]

When I cycle a tank I use plants. I make sure that between 30-50% of the volume of the tank is in plant, switch on filter, heat, light ( 10 hours per day). Wait 10 -14 days and once the plants start growing. You can safely start adding fish a few at a time over the next few weeks. The bio load capacity of the tank will increase over time. The plants are a crucial part of the nitrogen cycle. I always use natural gravel in my tanks.

 

[fallingacrobat]

Do I understand correctly that you fill your tank half full of plants? Do you leave all of the plants in when you introduce the fish? That seems like a lot of plants.

 

[itiwhetu]

Do I understand correctly that you fill your tank half full of plants? Do you leave all of the plants in when you introduce the fish? That seems like a lot of plants.

Yep I aim to have my tanks between 30-50% in plant. That gives the fish the maximum amount of protection from each other. It also acts as part of the biological filter to keep the tank stable.

 

[fallingacrobat]

OK- thank you for the advice. I really appreciate hearing from people with experience.

 

[Sgooosh]

OK- thank you for the advice. I really appreciate hearing from people with experience.

i think hornwort is a good beginner plant, absorbs things in the water column and can be floated or planted

 

[hansgruber7]

Yes, I agree that 30-50% plants is ideal. But any amount of plants is better than none. You can read up on "in-fish cycle" but I think it's better to try to get it fully cycled before adding fish personally. Having done tanks with bettas alone and also relatively successful community tanks with bettas, I would recommend keeping the betta alone. It just works better for a number of reasons. You avoid potential aggression/stress problems. The other fish will be bolder without a betta and feeding is harder to navigate in a community tank.

 

[Essjay]

Plants take up ammonia as their preferred source of nitrogen, and they take it up faster than bacteria.
When there are a lot of fast growing plants in a tank, they can take up all the ammonia made by a sensibly stocked tank of fish. Bacteria will grow slowly in the background, but not nearly as many as in a tank with no live plants or just the odd one or two slow growing plants.

We can use this to cycle a tank - though with this method, the tank must be planted then left for the plants to establish. Fish are added a few at a time to allow the plants to grow more between fish additions - more plant means more ammonia taken up.

 

[fallingacrobat]

Thank you. That makes sense to me