grimms Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 (edited) Hello, I am going to cycle a new 10 gallon tank soon, but I don't have any plants yet. I bought a bag of CaribSea Eco-Complete, but I think I need another 10lb bag (I only bought one 10lb bag). Can I start cycling my tank now? Or wait until I have all the aquasoil, and plants? Can I start cycling without any substrate? In GirlTalksFish video: 5 Things I Wish I Knew About Substrates for Planted Aquariums, she says using bigger gravel substrate is better for plants to grow roots in. Do I need stone gravel underneath Eco-Complete aqua soil? Or is the CaribSea Eco-Complete the only substrate I'll need? Edited December 16, 2021 by grimms More questions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Burke Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 I don’t have any experience with eco-complete, but generally speaking you can start cycling plants or even substrate. But adding substrate with water in the tank might be a trick. that said why would you want to rush things? Once you get the tank started it’s a lot harder, and more messy to dry fit any hardscape. Plus having water in the tank while planting can be a pain. If you wait, you can enjoy fantasizing through setting your tank up, think through everything you want to try…… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBOzzie59 Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 Eco-complete alone will be fine. I have several tanks with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mmiller2001 Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 Start it, just keep the lights off. I toss in a dime size piece of raw shrimp to cycle my tanks. You could go even smaller for that tank size. However, as @Ken Burke says, it's kinda nice to fully plant it, scape it and enjoy it while it's cycling. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isaly Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 I agree with @Ken Burke, look at what's being done. So many folks on here have gorgeous tanks... I just followed a link to an older post by @anewbie where he posted a pic of an Italia val tank that just knocked me out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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