update on my aquarium

[Guest]

Yesterday I went to get plants for my 29 gallon tank. I got 2 small amazon swords, 2 small grass things, 2 tall ancharis(or however its spelled), and java moss. I have a 20 watt bulb so I hope they all do well.

Next week or the end of this week I am getting 4 platies to cycle. After those I will get 1 dwarf flame gourami, 7 neon tetras, and 4 kuhli loaches. I will, of course, put all fish in a quarantine tank first. I also got a $4 snail with my plants for free ..once I get the loaches it will be eaten though.

My tank is set up with a 40 gal. filter which is working well, a bubbler, and a new heater. I have my temp. at 77 degrees. I will keep it at that or at 78 degrees.

Update on betta

My betta that I got in Fri. is doing well. He loves his new 1 gallon tank better than the cup barely able to fit him. His body was brown when I got him, but it is now a greenish color. His crown-tail fins are blue/red/green color. He is a very small boy but very cute. I took some pics and hope to have them up soon. Also his tank was cloudy do to the cycle so I did a partial water change today.

Question

Right now my 29 gal. tank with the plants is very cloudy. Does the tank cycle with plants? It looks a little better right now than it did earlier today though. please answer this question.

Thanks!!!!!!

 

[TCTFish]

If it's a whiteish cloudiness then most likely it's just phosphates. You can use a clarifier for this. It's a new set up with new water and tap water is a big source of phosphates. Though it is a needed element, in excess can cause an algae bloom and that whitishness is that algae bloom.

 

[dskidmore]

Have you considered doing a fishless cycle? Just start putting in fish food as if there are fish in there, and in a few weeks you can start with the gourami.

If any leaves on the plants are dead, they can cause a cycle. Plants more often though ease the cycle by absorbing ammonia as fertilizer.

Do you have an ammonia test kit yet? You'll know for sure if you're cycling by watching ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Ammonia will spike first, then nitrite, then nitrate will go up and stay up. (Plants can absorb nitrate, but with low light they will not likely absorb more than your tank produces.)

Some of those plants may do OK under 20 watts. Anacharis at least should do well. Stick to buying plants labeled as low-light, and give it the good old trial and error. Your exact water conditions will also influence which plants do well.