well here goes

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

hoping to get a few of my first fish at the weekend, wanted to get parameters right first, it's only been cycling for 3 weeks

Respect to you for your patience.
Planted cycling usually happens more quickly than non-planted, especially if the plants are doing well, as yours certainly seem to be.
My Journal describes my own planted cycling of two tanks.

 

[ClownLurch]

Best of luck.
Awwwh maaan you’ve more patience than me.
I went silent cycle for speed and to avoid brain hurt. Stuffed the tank with nine recommended on here silent cycling plants as I’d be stuffing it eventually anyway.

Which fish are you thinking of?

 

[chrisnolan]

Best of luck.
Awwwh maaan you’ve more patience than me.
I went silent cycle for speed and to avoid brain hurt. Stuffed the tank with nine recommended on here silent cycling plants as I’d be stuffing it eventually anyway.

Which fish are you thinking of?

thanks, am not normally known for my patience but am trying to do better. Intend to have a peaceful community tank with small tetras, cherry barbs, rasbora and corys. Looking for a couple of show fish - maybe rams or gouramis but not sure yet. Would also like to add a couple of the stripy snails and maybe a few shrimp, am still researching

 

[chrisnolan]

Update: seems to be going well, I now have fish in and all seem to be doing well. I currently have 6 x cherry barbs, 10 x rummy nose tetra, 12 x cardinals, 6 x albino black widow tetras and 4 x ottos. Very active in upper and mid levels, wondering whether to add a few small corys to sift the sand and give activity in bottom levels. Was going to add a couple of show fish later, maybe a pair of rams but not sure I need any more. All water parameters holding well with 50% water change every weekend which works well and keeps my ph levels steady, am so glad I found this forum and stuck to the advice given through all my teething problems - thank you to everyone who helped