Rich B Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 Hello. I am a new fish keeper and need help with plants for my 5 and 10 gallon tanks. My 10 gallon is currently 2 weeks into the fishless cycle while the 5 gallon is just being setup. My question is "is it better to add plants before or after a tank has cycled". Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RovingGinger Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 (edited) Freshwater Fish Tank Cycling - How to Prepare for New Fish WWW.AQUARIUMCOOP.COM Have you ever seen a fish in the wild living in pure, crystal clear water with no other contaminants? Probably not... From what I have heard plants-in cycling is easier, but the last time I started a tank without plants I didn’t understand how ammonia and nitrites worked so I have not experimented really. Edited August 16, 2020 by RovingGinger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChefConfit Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 At worst they absorb ammonia nitrite and nitrate helping to prevent crazy spikes and speeding up the process and prevent algae blooms. At best they already have some beneficial bacteria on them and help seed the tank in addition to the above benefits. Some people like to start with fast growing and floating plants then add the slow growers after because they're more susceptible to algae but I've never done that or had a problem because of it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Smith Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 Yep, get those plants in there right away. When I notice new plant growth I know the tank is ready for fish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich B Posted August 16, 2020 Author Share Posted August 16, 2020 Thank you everyone for your help. Greatly appreciated. I'm ordering my plants today and sticking them in the tank as soon as I get them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveSamsell Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 On 8/15/2020 at 10:02 PM, Rich B said: Hello. I am a new fish keeper and need help with plants for my 5 and 10 gallon tanks. My 10 gallon is currently 2 weeks into the fishless cycle while the 5 gallon is just being setup. My question is "is it better to add plants before or after a tank has cycled". Thanks. I have experimented with the "fertilizer cycling" method in one of my aquariums awhile back using only plants and Co-Op Easy green fertilizer. The tank turned out to be one of my most stable and favorite aquariums. Was monitoring Ammonia, Nitrites & Nitrates throughout the cycling process. Once the plants and algae started growing, and water parameters stabilized, I slowly added a few fish at a time. Seemed to work well for me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich B Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 Thank you Dave, I really appreciate your help. I added plants to my 5 gallon this morning and look forward to cycling without the chemicals, although I have nothing against chemicals. I will continue to monitor the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Thank you again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanR Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 I agree with @DaveSamsell and @Bill Smith. The aquariums I have put plants in have cycled the fastest. My first aquarium took almost two months to cycle without plants. Even if I cut a chunk of Water Sprite and let it float, that helps a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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