no, thats not true--im the original poster i didnt mention wanting a
tank full of fish right away i just asked if plants should be included
when cycling a new tank

Okay, sorry if I misinterpreted what you said.

but having watched the thread, i guess what i will do is use some gravel
from my mates tank, cut the sponge in his filter in half and put it in my
tank,

That sounds like a good idea.

, add a limited number of plants and
check the ph a few days later if all is well i will add a few fish and
see how we go

how does that sound as a plan?

Excellent, except I would add fish right away if you're going with this method.
The bacteria from your friend's tank will starve to death if there are no fish
in your tank to feed them.

So set up the tank, add the plants, and, when you're ready, add the
gravel/filter material from your friends tank and the same time as the fish.
If you can't add them at the same time, add the fish first. It will be several
days before there's a serious ammonia spike.

And read the Krib's plant FAQ, especially this page:

http://faq.thekrib.com/plant-list.html

It will help you choose plants that will do well in your tank. (If you haven't
added souped-up lighting to your tank, then you probably have low light, and
should choose plants accordingly.)


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/