cycling with plants

[Talon242]

Since my fishless cycling isnt going so well. I'm thinking of buying appropiate lighting for live plants by the end of the week. I don't know how I should go about adding the fish but I'm thinking i would have to start with a few smaller fish and then once everything was at the right levels then I could slowly add more?

 

[Christmasfish]

That is the ol fashion way..
and the way I use the most..except after tank #1 I had media to borrow..I usually start with one large or three small fish and monitor the water like a hawk and keep a strict change schedule. I have never had a tank with ammonia over 10 (except the first unlucky 1 gallon that was stuffed with neon tetra. Merry Christmas from Petsmart! Let is close before you can come buy a heater..and whups...holiday!)
You MUST stay patient and not go bonkers when you hit zeroes.

But why not bio spira? Can't get it? Or borrow meedia from a pals healthy tank.

 

[malkore]

as long as you have 3 watts per gallon, and plenty of fast growing stem plants, you shouldn't see ammonia or nitrite if you slowly stock the tank. at 3wpg you'll need CO2 injection or the plants won't grow quickly.

if you can get any decorations, filter media, or gravel from an established tank, this will further help prevent ammo/nitrite spikes.

 

[Talon242]

(except the first unlucky 1 gallon that was stuffed with neon tetra. Merry Christmas from Petsmart! Let is close before you can come buy a heater..and whups...holiday!)

That must have been a pain.

But why not bio spira? Can't get it? Or borrow meedia from a pals healthy tank.

No stores around carry bio spira. I planned on doing a planted tank anyways so it really doesn't bother me. And the one person I know who had a tank, no longer has it, doesn't that figure. I also tried to get used filter media from my lfs and they said they only use bioballs (dunno what they are) and they wouldn't let me have a cup of gravel from an established tank either.

 

[brendan]

What I did to quickly cycle my 30g was took the foam filter from my 10g (it's was nice and black) then squeezed it out into the new 30g. After 2 or three days the water was clear again and I progressed from there. This have been great ever since. One this to be aware of is you don't want to use the filter from another tank if that tank has sick fish in it, so be careful.

I also find Neons are a good jugde of water quality, if they're thriving then most other fish will, in terms of water quality.

HTH