Using Pothos to help cycle new aquarium

[João Barbosa]

Hi everyone, I have this old pothos, very well rooted in water. I was wondering if I can use it to cycle my new aquarium...

[Opie]

It will help take out ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. So sure. I would let the tank start cycle a bit before putting it. I find cycling with plants from the start slows down the cycle. I put plants in once my nitrate starts increasing. 

[Rube_Goldfish]

I would have to think that planting, unless you're exclusively using tissue culture plants, would speed up a new tank's cycle because they'd be seeded with beneficial bacteria. I guess if they took up ammonia/nitrite/nitrate too quickly they might slow down the colonization of those bacteria, but from the standpoint of "when can I put fish in the tank?", plants still ought to speed that up, right? And most plants have an adjustment period when first planted anyway, so I doubt they'd really outcompete the bacteria thay dramatically.

You'd still want to do daily testing and be ready for water changes, but plants have to be net help.