Stocked and still cycling but want to change plants. Can I?

[Wilks]

Hello!

I have a 12 gallon freshwater nano tank that has been running for about 4 weeks. I started developing brown algae on the artificial plants and gravel. I have been vacuuming the gravel, which helped clean it, but my plants still have ugly brown algae on them.

I really don't like the plants and would like to go buy new artificial plants but am not sure if that will affect the cycle time.

Any advice?

Best regards,
Wilks

 

[Oohitsae]

It won't affect the cycle at all so go ahead and change them all If you want

 

[Wilks]

I appreciate your prompt response! My concern was that the plants may house beneficial bacteria that is helping with the cycle. I will go buy new plants today!

 

[Wilks]

So before I changed the plants and did a partial water change I tested the water. I still am showing 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate. Is that normal?? It's been running for about 4 weeks.

 

[Oohitsae]

How many plants do you have in there? You may have gone through a silent cycle if you aren't showing ammonia either, and since plants eat nitrate that could be why you are showing 0
If it's not densely planted and you are still showing ammonia then it's possible that it's just taking a while. I've had a tank take 2.5 months to fish in cycle before.

 

[AC-X2]

I don't know if this would help you but what I do to clean the algae off my plants is just rub the leaves between my fingers and the algae comes right off.

 

[Wilks]

Oohitsae,


I have artificial plants. My ammonia I just tested for the first time and it was at 4-5. I just did two partial water changes (about 30% each time) and it's still near 4-5.

 

[Wilks]

Thank you Wyatt for the advice on cleaning the plants. I just replaced them anyways since I really didn't like the way they looked, but I will keep that in mind for the new plants!

 

[Oohitsae]

Oohitsae,

I have artificial plants. My ammonia I just tested for the first time and it was at 4-5. I just did two partial water changes (about 30% each time) and it's still near 4-5.

Lol guess I forgot that part. Anyways, it could just be taking a while. Ammonia at 4-5 with fish in is way too high though, it shouldn't get any higher than .5

See if your LFS or a friend with a tank will sell you a piece of their cycled filter media and that should help speed up the process. If all else fails try a bottle of bacteria. It's usually junk but sometimes it works well. Try to get the newest looking bottle they have, or the one with the farthest expiration if they have dates on them.

 

[Wilks]

No problem i'll see what I can find. In the mean time I am going to do partial water changes daily. Hopefully that will help keep the ammonia below 5. So I understand, once it's cycled ammonia should not be a problem?

 

[Oohitsae]

No problem i'll see what I can find. In the mean time I am going to do partial water changes daily. Hopefully that will help keep the ammonia below 5. So I understand, once it's cycled ammonia should not be a problem?

Below .5 (sorry, must not have put the decimal there)
Anyways daily water changes would be a great idea, 20%+ would be recommended. Do a couple large ones at first 50-75% to get it down quickly.
Once it's cycled you shouldn't have ammonia problems unless you don't vacuum very well and then disturb the substrate or having a fish die or even adding too many fish at once because your cycle would have to catch up to eat all the nutrients from that. It could also happen if you disturb the cycle somehow like changing filter pads or if your filter dies out on you. Running 2 filters would help keep anything from disturbing your cycle too much.

 

[Wilks]

Wow! I'm way off then! I'll be doing regular changes and seek advice as necessary. Thanks for your help!

 

[Oohitsae]

Wow! I'm way off then! I'll be doing regular changes and seek advice as necessary. Thanks for your help!

Lol
Your welcome!

 

[AC-X2]

Thank you Wyatt for the advice on cleaning the plants. I just replaced them anyways since I really didn't like the way they looked, but I will keep that in mind for the new plants!

Glad to help!

 

[Wilks]

Ok so two of the ghost tetras died last night. I wonder why. All the other fish seem fine. Guess it's for the best since I was overstocked. Just weird that two of the same species died at the same time.

 

[Wilks]

At least I think they're called ghost tetras. They are completely clear and are modified with neon colored stripes on top. They're slightly smaller than the 3 glo light tetras we have.