New tank set up advice - planted

[confusedfishmom]

Ok looking for some insight/strategy. I recently set up a 75g tank, brand new. I intended to do a fishless cycle but in my lack of planning, I planted quite a few plants in my new tank, while simultaneously following Dr Tims fishless cycle. So as you can imagine, doing a fishless cycle with plants is tough since the plants eat the ammonia as fast as I add it in...anyway, the fish I want to add to the tank are scaleless and susceptible to disease so they're definitely not starter fish and not ideal for a new aquarium. I have filter media from established tanks that I could add to my new tank, but I still want to make sure the tank will be healthy for the new fish. I have 4 tanks so I have some options to shift fish around, but I'm not sure about adding finicky fish to a new aquarium even if it is moderately planted. Any advice on how to best get the tank established given all of the plants? TIA

 

[dcutl002]

Why not just use media from your old tank filters and cycle the water faster?

 

[Warriorplantedt]

sure thats no problem if you have established tanks in the house then "spike that 75. I will walk you through it. Take a bucket and fill it with a small amount of tank water. remove "old media from established filter. place media into container with tank water and gently squeeze/aggitate. that "nasty looking water is the stuff! pour that into your 75. when you do a water change on your tanks do the 75 first and dont refill take like a 5 gallon bucket with water from one of your mature tanks and pour that into the 75 then replace remainder with new water. you only need to do this one time. be mindful that if you have algae or anything that you dont want in your 75 to use water from a good tank. I do this all the time. if you get stuck let me know I will help you the best I can. good luck.

 

[confusedfishmom]

Great this is very helpful. Thank you. Despite having 4 tanks, I've never actually used old media to cycle a new tank. I think I just enjoy the process of cycling a tank but this is the first time I've planted in a new tank and I just didn't think it through. So do you think after following the method above, just once, I'd be fish ready? Sounds like a fun filled weekend in store for me. Ha.

 

[Warriorplantedt]

Ok so after you do that, give it maybe a day or 2 only just to let the filter clear your water and then sure add your fish just dont go nuts. remember its not the plants that breakdown ammonia its your nitrifiying bacteria. In all honesty with a water volume that size you have a huge margin for error. it will be fine people freak out when they see ammonia but it is a very important part of the cycle. it will be fine. what kind of fish were you thinking about stocking? (just me being nosey)

 

[Toad]

Just take a small chunk of media from each old filter (replacing the amount you took with new media) and put it in the new filter, you should be able to carefully add some stock immediately, as you now have a cycled filter. I'd still add stock slowly and keep an eye on your parameters, but that's pretty much all there is to it.

 

[confusedfishmom]

Ok so after you do that, give it maybe a day or 2 only just to let the filter clear your water and then sure add your fish just dont go nuts. remember its not the plants that breakdown ammonia its your nitrifiying bacteria. In all honesty with a water volume that size you have a huge margin for error. it will be fine people freak out when they see ammonia but it is a very important part of the cycle. it will be fine. what kind of fish were you thinking about stocking? (just me being nosey)

A knife fish and yoyo loaches. I'm going to start with the knifefish and add others later after I've got the knife comfortable and eating. I should have a very small bioload for quite awhile since the knife will be about 3" to start and is a fairly slow grower. Stock-wise I should be good for awhile, I'll max the tank out as the fish grow, which will hopefully coincide with a nicely cycled tank. (Just in time to move them a larger one and do it all over [emoji12]). Thanks for the help!