# Cycling with Plants



## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

I have read many online resources for fishless cycling (Including here). Very few of them mention fishless cycling with plants. 

Can someone PLEASE tell me how to cycle with plants fishless? I would specifically like to know what to look for and how long it should take. On another cite I was told its ok to add fish to the tank as long as I have my "seed" and the plants. I would like a CLEAR explanation and do's and don'ts to fishless with plants. Everything is so confusing and I want to do this right, and I don't want to lose any fish. THank you soooooo much for your patients with me on this new tank. I just have lots of questions


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Never even heard of someone doing it. The purpose of a fishless cycle is to not harm your fish and since you don't have fish to worry about you are able to puposely drive up your levels to force the process faster. Water changes slow the process down and you don't have to do those either since you don't have fish to worry about. Normally, you'd add enough ammonia to get the level up to 4ppm or so. Take note of the amount to get you there and dose that daily until nitrites start to show up in your testing. Once they show up, reduce your daily dose to half. Requires a liquid test set to give accurate readings.

There is nothing that says you can't do it. I personally think it will be hard to determine the size of your daily dose of ammonia since your plants would be consuming it. 

If it were me I would do the fishless cycle if that is what you want to do. Once it is over do a 50% water change and put the plants in then. Just my opinion.

Nobody can tell you how long a fishless cycle will take becasue every tank is different and a fishless cycle with plants would be even more difficult to predict. I still say 2-4 weeks.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

If you plant 50%+ and seed the filter your tank will be cycled in just a couple of days. I do it all the time and no spikes what so ever.


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

Ok good, because someone in another forum was telling me that because I have the filter from my other tank on the big one that the fish in the old tank was going to get bogged down with ammonia, even after I told him there were plants in that tank. He told me to go ahead and move some fish over to the new tank so they wont die from ammonia poisoning. 

SOOO If I put plants in the new tank and add the "seed" (i.e. old filter and decor from old tank) it should be done in a few days??


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

In a totally sterile tank (no bacteria at all) you will not have any ammonia nor nitrite spikes with sufficient plants.


If you add ammonia ditto.

if you add stuff with nitrate in them then you will get an initial nitrate spike.

3 weeks later when nitrates drop down that signifies the bacteria is consuming the ammonia/nitrItes and the bacteria based nitrogen cycle is full established.


my .02


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Cyling is basicly the process of setting up a bacteria population to do the following conversion:
Protein > Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate
The main sources of Protein in a tank are fish food and fish waste. The main component of plants and plant waste is cellulose. I don't think plants would contribute enough protein to generate enough bacteria to make the tank safe for fish.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

NeonShark666 said:


> Cyling is basicly the process of setting up a bacteria population to do the following conversion:
> Protein > Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate
> The main sources of Protein in a tank are fish food and fish waste. The main component of plants and plant waste is cellulose. I don't think plants would contribute enough protein to generate enough bacteria to make the tank safe for fish.


Plants don't have to generate bacteria. The bacteria will come from many sources. And while the bacteria are building up, the plants are consuming ammonia directly which prevents the ammonia,nitrIte spikes.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

The plants will also have bacteria on them that is beneficial to stabilizing the tank. Nitrate spikes aren't that much to worry about unless they go over 80, but I have had mine up to 160 when there was a problem with water line in tap water but no harm was done to the fish.

Anything that is put into a new tank from an old tank will have beneficial bacteria on it. You just want to make sure its from a healthy tank. Even plants coming from an online order isn't sterile and will have bacteria on it as the plants are kept wet.


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

Wow lots of great information. Thanks everyone  I will keep a close eye on my numbers


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## tscott (Jan 7, 2011)

Great information in this thread ;D I was looking for exactly the same thing. Thanks guys!


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

Things in the tank are going well. I am keeping a real close eye on my tank #s. I test the water 2 times a day, and do a partial WC every other day. Yesterday I only did about 5%. Im keeping a close eye on AM and NA, so far they are still at 0. I think the plants are helping a lot. I have a corner just filled with them.


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