When To Plant (real) Plants

[Joanna69]

The man in my LFS said there's no need to plant real plants in a new tank until you add the first batch of fish. Is this true? Does it matter? Does adding real plants effect to any major degree the chemical balance of the water?

My 63l tank is at the start of a fishless cycle and I've a few rocks n bits n bobs in there with some fake plants but it needs some real ones I think to make it complete (well as complete as it can be sans fish!).

Thanks.

Jo

 

[fish_master]

I belive that he is wrong as i know it plants will speed up the cycling its best not to listen to the lfs they are hardly ever right but if im wrong some1 will correct me

 

[Themuleous]

As far as I know you are indeed right, plants can help with the cycling process, but not really sure by how much. I think the main benefit with adding them straight away is that it gives them time to settle and grow roots. It also means you can plant them and shift them around without worring about stressing out the fish! If it were me I would add them now, more than anything it makes the tank look nice, epsecially if there are no fish in there!

 

[Dude]

i cant think of anything wrong with adding them in before fish... other than (if you dont use co2) no co2 from fish ... but if you have the right supplys for the plants you want to buy (fert , co2) then i see no harm in adding them in now

 

[NAL]

Without doubt, if your aim is to have a planted tank, as opposed to a tank with plants in it (I think there's a difference), then you should plant, and plant heavily from the outset. Your plants and fish will both benefit-so will you-planting up at the beginning is way easier than trying to do it when the tank is already set-up

Nick