# Do live plants impact cycling of a new tank?



## greenseaships (Nov 2, 2013)

With my 20 gallon first tank now humming along nicely, I bought and filled a 10 gallon tank a week ago.

This past weekend, I planted some live plants, something new to me, while I wait for the tank to get ready for fish. I wonder- do real plants have an impact on breaking in your new tank? It seems like they should for the better. What kind of impact? I got 2 ferns and some grass. Should I get some snails before I load the fish? I think I have settled on Zebra Danios since they show up on pretty much every list I can find of best fish for a 10 gallon tank, but I guess that's beside the point.

More along the point, over in my 20 gallon tank, I have a school of neon tetras which I feel have NOT been enjoying a less-planted tank. More wide open spaces over there. I have a molly, a platy, red-eye tetras and a rainbow shark over there. So the neons have been kinda holding still together over in the back corner of the tank. Often though, I'll see 1-3 of them off on their own.

Tonight, I moved in several more artificial plants (all artificial over there) to create a sort of forest in the corner of the tank. Will the neons like that better? I can tell the red-eyes are already digging it.

All fish seem to be compatible with the neon tetras except for the Rainbow Shark which only says "use caution". After several weeks, they seem to avoid each other, but I wonder- should I be moving the neons over to the 10 gallon because they are uptight about the shark?

Sorry for loading you all down with so many questions!


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

But then this is why a forum exist...questions/info.
red tail shark tank mates - Yahoo Search Results
AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor
Unless you had wall to wall plants they would not effect the cycle. They use/feed on ammonia and nitrates but use the nitrates only
after the ammonia is used up except for two plants, water hyacinth and giant duckweed. Those use the two chemicals at the same time.
So if you had wall to wall plants and very low reading on ammonia...it could slow it by using some of the ammonia that the cycle
would have used to work. But only slightly and only if many plants and very low ammonia were the case.
I read in an article on internet (and who can say if you can trust it) about nitrates that they tested several plants for ammonia and
nitrate absorbing levels and the two listed were the only ones which used both chemicals at the same time/amounts.
Plants do help your tank in general after the cycle but are not a substitute for a filter or water changes. Exceptions do exist.
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/lowest-cost-easiest-way-eliminate-green-34262.html


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## Sebastian (Dec 27, 2012)

Live plants are not necessary to cycle a tank, but they do benefit the process in several ways. The plants themselves consume small amount of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as fertilizer. This does not directly help the cycling, but it can help with some of the spikes. The most beneficial effect is that the plants you bought were in a different, cycled aquarium beforehand. That means that they are loaded with bacteria that break down ammonia and nitrite.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Plants do affect the cycle, in a positive way. They make it where it is less of an impact on fish during the cycle because they use up the ammonia. Sometimes called a silent cycle. The ferns you mention...have a pic? Most "ferns" are not true aquatic plants and have a feeling you bought some smi-aquatics.


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## vreugy (May 1, 2013)

I cycled my tanks with plants. Worked pretty good. I wanted to address your red tailed shark. They are stinkers and will eventually either kill or stress out your neons. I had one and it got my best male guppy down and was sucking the slim of him. He didn't make it. Don't get me wrong, I think the red tail is about the prettiest fish there is, but I wouldn't give a penny for a bucket load of them.

Have a blessed day


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## greenseaships (Nov 2, 2013)

jrman83 said:


> Plants do affect the cycle, in a positive way. They make it where it is less of an impact on fish during the cycle because they use up the ammonia. Sometimes called a silent cycle. The ferns you mention...have a pic? Most "ferns" are not true aquatic plants and have a feeling you bought some smi-aquatics.


I'll get a pic tonight. The package does say "Aquatic Fern" FWIW.


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## greenseaships (Nov 2, 2013)

vreugy said:


> I wanted to address your red tailed shark. They are stinkers and will eventually either kill or stress out your neons. I had one and it got my best male guppy down and was sucking the slim of him. He didn't make it. Don't get me wrong, I think the red tail is about the prettiest fish there is, but I wouldn't give a penny for a bucket load of them.
> 
> Have a blessed day


Yeah, my neons seem to be OK buuuuuuuuuuuuuuut...*#3 They are usually holding still in their complete group. Although sometimes they do so right next to the Rainbow's lair! 

I'm seriously considering moving them over to my 10 gallon with the Danios.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Too many fish for a ten G
AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor
Neon's are very sensitive to ammonia and it will come if you put them in a ten that already has fish in it.
You might get away with putting one at a time 5 days or so apart from each other. But check/w the Aqvisor on the water change 
suggestion for the total amount of them all and the filter may not handle it anyway. If the label said up to 20 gallon it may.


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

I would agree. You might be at your limit for the 10g. I'm not one to preach about not over stocking. Most of my tanks are. That being said with a filter upgrade and upped water changes it can safely be done. My over stocked tanks have filters capable of near 10x turn over and 50% wc a week.


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## greenseaships (Nov 2, 2013)

Didn't realize the role that a larger filter played in tank size. I think I will look for a 20 gallon filter if I do want to move the neons over.


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Well sure. The more fish the mor waste. And a filters main job isn't to pull detris out of the water its to give your beneficial bacteria somewhere to grow. So the with a larger filter it can hold and process more water.


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