Starting a dirt tank

[Coel]

So I'm going to be starting a sorted tank soon using mgopm as well as a little red clay with a flourite cap. I will use DIY co2 and eventually 4 t5 bulbs. Filter will be a sunsun hw-303b. The tank will be 75 gallons. How long should I wait before adding livestock? Just until the levels settle? And is there any advice people can think of that I may not think of? Thanks

 

[fort384]

You will likely get some ammonia from the soil, but it might not be enough to cycle the tank. You could load it up with plants and so long as NH4 is at 0, start slowly adding livestock and do a silent cycle...

 

[Coel]

Ill be seeding my filter with media from my 55 so im hoping to avoid a cycle

 

[Sharpchick]

You will likely get some ammonia from the soil, but it might not be enough to cycle the tank. You could load it up with plants and so long as NH4 is at 0, start slowly adding livestock and do a silent cycle...

^^This.

I planted 80% of the footprint with fast growing stems. Added my first shoal a week later (harlequin rasboras), then a shoal of neons a week later, waited two weeks and added a school of cories.

Have not had ammonia over .25 ppm, and never had measurable nitrites or nitrates.

 

[Coel]

Once I find the driftwood I'm looking for ill be making a large plant order to do exactly that. Till then I'm just acquiring everything I need