View Full Version : Fishless cycling question
I had a question regarding fishless cycling of my tank. My 55 gallon has been cycling for a week now. I placed a stocking full of gravel from an established tank and squeezed a sponge from an established tank filter in it. I am also cycling with live plants. My question is will live plants affect the cycle for better or worse?
OrionGirl
01-19-2006, 5:52 PM
What's the current ammonia level? Are you dosing with ammonia?
Plants will consume the ammonia, but this isn't a bad thing. Plants, as well as the seeding, can be used for a 'silent' cycle--in essence, you've introduced a means for dealing with the ammonia wastes, and can safely stock the tank with a few small fish every week to 10 days, regular maintenance and monitoring of course.
If you are dosing ammonia, the unestablished plants + the light needed for them to grow can = algae outbreak. At this point, I'd quit dosing ammonia, add the first of the tank residents, and plan for a few extra water changes, as indicated by test results.
Beeker
01-19-2006, 5:54 PM
How many plants do you have in the tank? The plants may make the cycle seem slower. I was told that if you have a planted tank, once the plants are settled in and growing, you can add the fish because the plants live off of the waste that cause the cycle. You may want to get some other opinions first, though. Len helped me out with that one in my cycling thread entitled "Where am I?" (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43918) His post is the last one on the thread. I hope this helps.
I am dosing with ammonia (5 drops per 10 gallons) The last reading this morning was .5ppm. I have never gotten any nitrites of nitrates. I have been using dip stip tests. I have only three plants at this time, an amazon sword, and two wisteria.
OrionGirl
01-19-2006, 6:30 PM
You dose to a reading of 5 ppm, and 24 hours you have .5 ppm left?
Sorry I typed wrong with the decimil point. It's 5ppm.