Fish or plants: what comes first

[rgrisoli]

I have a new 90 gal setup and I've just begun a fishless cycle. Once the cycle is complete, does it matter whether I stock it with fish or plants first? For the overall health of the system, when can I begin adding plants? I'm a bit concerned about creating an algae bloom if I start too early.

The tank has a tidepool sump, PFS, rocks, and driftwood. I'm only a week into the cycle am running it with the lights off for now. I'm seeding it with gravel and filter material from a friend's established tank.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Zagz]

You can stock it with plants now if you want. And the fish after the cycle is over. What temp are you cycling at? It doesn't matter IMO if the lights are off or on through the cycle as long as you don't leave them on all the time through the day and night.

Welcome to AA!

 

[rgrisoli]

I have the tank at 79 degrees. I read that higher temps help speed up the cycle.

With ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels at high levels during the cycle, wouldn't the lights and plants help create an algae bloom.

I should have given a bit of background on myself. I'm new (again) to freshwater tanks. I have had a successful saltwater tank for the past 10 years. After a recent move, I've decided to build the tank as a freshwater system this time. But I have not had a freshwater tank for many years and I see things have changed!

I'm hoping that this tank will require a bit less of the daily maintenance that the reef did. Not that I want to get lazy, but the tank is in my office now. I can't give it the amount of attention that my last system required.

That being said - I can't walk by the tank without sticking my hands in it!

I'd like to piggyback another question to this post if I might: When you use the Python for PWC, do you mix hot and cold water to regulate the temp? I always thought water from the hot tap was not to be used in tanks, but the cold water comes out at 55 degrees.

Thanks again for your advice!

 

[An t-iasg]

With ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels at high levels during the cycle, wouldn't the lights and plants help create an algae bloom.

Yes, that is true. High levels of ammonia through the fishless cycle, combined with bright lights, is an algae recipe.

If you cycle with plants (fish and plants, not added ammonia and plants) fast-growing plants will take in the ammonia and you may never see a cycle through your ammonia-nitrite testing. (NH3 and NO2 spikes) although you should see a NO3 reading when the cycle is complete if the fish bioload is heavy enough. If it's not, then you may not see a NO3 reading and you may have to supplement NO3 for the plants. However, the way you're cycling with ammonia, you should see the spikes register on your test kits.

About mixing hot and cold water - I used to think that too (don't use hot water from the tap) but a lot of people do mix hot and cold water to use a python. It may be that older homes had copper pipes and newer homes usually have the plastic pipes.

When the cycle is complete, I would add fish first (or fish and plants at the same time). You want the fish in there after the cycle is completed so the fish waste continues to feed the bacteria that you worked so hard to grow.

Oh, and welcome to AA! Reef tanks are really cool but I think you'll be challenged and intrigued with a planted tank too.

 

[Purrbox]

Definately wait until your done cycling the aquarium before adding plants. Ammonia + Light = Green Water.

After your cycle is complete you should add your fish right away, and you can add your plants whenever you're ready. You just want to make sure that you are no longer dosing Ammonia to maintain the cycle when you add the plants and turn on the lights. The amount of Ammonia given off by fish is generally much less than dosed for fishless cycling.

When starting a planted aquarium your best bet is actually to do a silent cycle. For this you would want to plant the aquarium VERY heavily to start, and then start adding fish slowly after the plants have settled in for a week or two. As An t-iasg mentioned, when done right this often completely avoids the Ammonia and Nitrite spikes, which is why it's called a silent cycle.

 

[Zagz]

I would listen to Purrbox about the plants, she knows more than I do. I knew you could add fish and plants at the same time but didn't know about plants only. So Antiasg and Purrbox have more experience than I.

As for the python I have been mixing hot and cold water to regulate the temperature for 3 years. Have had no problem with it at all. Make sure to use a good dechlorinator such as Prime.

 

[rkilling1]

Whenever I use my python, I run just the hot water side for atleast a minute to clear out as much copper as I can. I have read that doing so greatly helps in reducing Cu going to the tank. I have shrimp is some of my tanks and Cu is a big issue for inverts. I have yet to see a problem.