How do plants affect cycling...?

[schoeplein]

My 65g has been setup for a little over a week, and I used half of the bio material from another tank in the large canister to get it going. I'm doing daily 10% changes, a 20% a couple days ago to help clear some of the tannin color from the soil under the substrate, and ammonia has remained fairly constant around 0.25 ppm. I haven't seen a lick of nitrite or nitrate. I'm using the liquid API kit. From what I've read, having plants may prevent me from recognizing when the nitrogen cycle has started, due to the absorption of nitrogen by the plants. In previous experience, I've seen nitrites and nitrates within a week using pre-existing cycled material. I have a couple larger echinodorus and three corys, and a small lily. Doesn't seem like enough plant life to absorb enough nutrients to give me zero measures. Thoughts?

Could the soil be absorbing some of the material? I would think nitrogen rich soil would release a ton into the water...

Where are my nitrogens?

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[Coyne]

Three corys in a 65 gallon tank aren't going to produce all that much ammonia. Your pre-cycled filter media will be converting that small amount into nitrite and then nitrate, and then your plants will be soaking up the nitrate.

Thats my theory anyways.

 

[BBradbury]

Fish In Tank Cycling

Hello schoe...

You definitely want plants in the tank. Floating ones like Anacharis and Hornwort are preferable. They take in waste nutrients through their leaves and help keep the tank water a bit more stable for the fish. You'll also need 3 to 4 reasonably sized fish for every 10 gallons of water. Guppies, Platys, Zebra Danios, Rosy Barbs and White Clouds are good, hardy fish.

Fish in tank cycle is very efficient, because you'll get a steady supply of ammonia from the fish wastes. You need to test the water daily for traces of ammonia and nitrite. If you have a positive test, remove and replace 25 percent of the tank water with pure, treated tap water. The 25 percent changes gets the water back into the safe zone for the fish and leaves some nitrogen for the growing bacteria. Just test daily and remove a quarter of the tank water when needed. When several daily tests show no traces of the above forms of nitrogen, the tank is cycled and you can add more fish and resume the process until the tank is fully stocked. Then, you need to change change half the tank water every one to two weeks to maintain healthy water conditions for the fish and plants.

Have fun!

B

 

[Rivercats]

Soil does in fact release a ton of nutrients especially the first weeks. The combination of daily WC's, low bioload, and seeded media is probably removing enough ammonia along with a couple plants using the rest to where your just not producing enough ammonia to see any nitrites or nitrates in the tank.