alkaline

Hi! I'm fairly new (about a year into it) to the fish world. I have a fairly odd tank setup, and just moved to a larger tank in order to make my babies happy. About a year ago, I started with 5 Pygmy Puffers. 2 of them died about a month after I got them, but the 3 are thriving! I've since then...

I've just set up my first tank, 37 gallons with a few pieces of driftwood (which are leaching tannins into the water so it's kind of the color of weak tea) and maybe 10 or 15 medium & small plants. I'm wondering if the plants or wood will have any effect on cycling. My understanding is that many...