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#31
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Include plants when cycling tank?
excellent thanks for that advice i will do as you suggest, and also
check out the link goodonya |
#32
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Include plants when cycling tank?
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#33
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Include plants when cycling tank?
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#34
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Include plants when cycling tank?
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#35
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Include plants when cycling tank?
We could probably argue for a long time over whether abandoning the
plan is worse in a plantless filtered tank or a heavily-planted filterless tank. Personally, I think that a planted tank would be more resistant to mistakes. It's more resistant to some mistakes. But if the plants aren't growing well, plants only add to the mess. And if they go high tech, with Co2 and all, it's a lot more work to maintain. I have however heard of several people who run without circulation in heavily planted tanks without a problem. Me, too. But you do have to be careful with the bioload. I used to run tanks that way when I was a kid. (My mom was cheap, and didn't like the idea of a filter running all the time.) I'm curious, though: have you heard of many oxygen problems (for newbies or otherwise)? Yes. I've seen it in my own tank. I had to add a powerhead to my high-tech planted tank, because the fish were gasping at the water surface by morning. The water quality was fine, and once I added the powerhead, all was well. While it would require retraining fish store employees, I'm not sure that it adds expense or learning curve. The total value of equipment on my 125 gallon actually went down when I redid it, as did the maintenance required. A low-tech tank really doesn't require that much investment. It doesn't...but it does require knowledge and discipline that many people don't have. But if I were advising a newcomer to the hobby, I'd point them towards a heavily planted tank, since I truly belive that minimizes their odds of dead fish. I recommend a few low-light plants, but I don't recommend a real planted tank unless they seem really interested. Often, when people see my tanks, they want to set up planted tanks of their own. I do my best to help them, but most of them don't succeed. I tell them they need more light, but they decide they don't want to mess with that. Then they buy a special plant bulb, leave it on 24/7, and think that will be enough. Of course, their tanks end up algae-ridden nightmares, and soon are sitting in the attic, empty. Leigh http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/ |
#36
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Include plants when cycling tank?
If you look around on
the net, there's tons of info on setting up and maintaining a planted tank cheaply. With DIY lighting and CO2, and knowing tricks like using Profile instead of Fluorite for a substrate, to name one example, a simple planted tank won't cost that much if any more than a tank with plastic plants and decorations. True, but I'd be really hesitant to recommend DIY CO2 to a complete newbie. It's one more thing to learn, and one more thing that can go wrong. It is possible to set up a planted tank inexpensively, but a lot of people won't do the research or do the work required. Often, someone setting up a tank inheritied it from someone else, so they don't have to buy anything. Plastic plants and decorations aren't a requirement. But for a planted tank, lighting is. I also don't think that there's all that much more of a learning curve. Even if they start out with just a bunch of java fern so that they don't need to add or do _anything_ special to their tank/hood/pink gravel start-up tank, the concept is the same: plants can be viewed as biological filtration just like the bacteria in the filter. Aside from the plantless tank/fishless-cycling subject, start out with a good filter, some easy plants and a couple little fish in a typical beginner setup, and you shouldn't have any problems as long as you maintain it properly and don't overstock. Low-light plants are great for newbies, and I do recommend those. IME, they grow so slowly in low light, they are almost like plastic plants. Little care required, no fertilizer or pruning needed, but you do have to rinse the algae off them once in awhile. g They don't do much filtration, either. As for the whole plants-only vs. plants & filter debate, I personally come down on the side of having both for the majority of people, especially newbies. If one fails, the other is always there as a backup, and redundant filtration is never a bad idea. I agree. I always try to have redundant filtration. A UGF and a HOB filter, say. In planted tanks, I consider my plants the backup filter. IME, beginners usually need that redundancy. As you noted in your other post, their constant, frantic posts to fish-oriented newsgroups and message boards prove that. It's been my experience in real life, too. A friend of mine saw my tanks last winter, and decided to set up her own this summer. I warned her to go slow, and even offered her a lot of equipment and stuff (since I have a bunch of stuff I don't use, from many years of fishkeeping). But she went right off the deep end. Bought two tanks, with stand, lighting, filters, etc., for inside the house, one for her porch, and a huge tub for her backyard, along with a pond filter. (I think it was meant to be a livestock watering trough.) She asked me for advice, and I gave it to her, but she ignored most of what I said. She bought hundreds of dollars worth of fish online, and dumped them in her tanks with no cycling or anything. (She "aged" the water for two weeks, as many old books and old-timers recommend.) Worst of all were the four extremely expensive show koi she bought for her outdoor tub. The tub was only 100 gallons; I told her it wasn't big enough for four koi. She said it would all right, since they were only babies and she had a good filter. She put tons of plants in the tub (including several pounds of clippings from my tanks), but in a couple of weeks, the poor koi were all dead. She tried goldfish next, and then mollies, then platies; they all died, too. I think I'm going to buy her an ammonia test kit for her birthday. :-P Leigh http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/ |
#38
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Include plants when cycling tank?
I have nothing against doing water changes, as I do plenty with fully
cycled and planted tanks. Based upon my experience: To use only the act of a WC to keep ammonia and nitrite levels at non-deadly levels in a un-cycled, non-planted,and moderately stocked tank would be around 100% per day....not all at once but cumulative. I assume the pH is above 6.0 and there is not an unusual amount of Chloride in the water. I cannot understand how a once per week WC of unknown size would be adequate...even if a blob of "mulm" were added. I would gladly trade the mulm for a pint of Amquel, some aquarium salt, and a Seachem Ammonia Alert. I would also prefer to trade the mulm for a few bunches of Water Sprite or Java Moss or Wysteria or just about any fast growing low light plant that is free of snails and parasites... I am definately down with WCs, I just believe there is some practical limit where they can be a lone success in the dilution of the poisonous Ammonia and Nitrite. I do not disagree entirely with your remarks or those of Kirstin or with any one elses, really. There are many ways and styles to not kill fish. |
#39
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Include plants when cycling tank?
"LeighMo" wrote in message ... This hasn't been my experience, I'm afraid. Mulm speeds cycling, for sure, and I use it, but it doesn't eliminate ammonia and nitrite spikes if you're stocking the tank fully all at once. And as I said, there are instances where stocking, even overstocking, all at once is necessary. African tanks are often overstocked, all at once, to minimize aggression and to keep any one fish from getting a "home tank advantage." Thank you all for this very interesting discussion! I am actually in the process of setting up my 45 long tank, and this issue is extremely relevant to me. It's going to be a moderately (20 - 40%) planted tank stocked with Mbuna cichlids (yes,I'm aware that they are herbivores!). I plan on fully (over?)stocking my tank at once to avoid aggression, which means I will be adding 4-5 yellow labs, 6-8 pseudotropheous demasonis, and one bristlenose pl*co all at once. Needless to say, cycling is an issue. Right now I'm leaning towards fishless cycling, as the last thing I want to do is damage or kill all of my new fish to an ammonia or nitrite spike. After reading some algae horror stories from those who have tried to fishless cycle with plants, I'm thinking of doing the fishless cycle sans plants in a dark tank. Once the cycle is complete, then I'll add the plants, and the next day the fish. The only tank that I trust is safe enough to use filter media from is my own, but it's a lightly stocked heavily planted 10 gal, so I'm not sure how beneficial it will be as a seed. Hopefully it helps somewhat. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? If I was going with a peaceful community tank, I would most definitely use Chuck's method of cycling a planted tank and add fish slowly. But I just can't see it working with demasonis, which I understand can be mean little buggers. Especially since I'm not going with a heavily planted tank, as it's primarily rock work. |
#40
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Include plants when cycling tank?
Aside from the whole debate going on, I have one observation to make:
if there's anything I learned specifically from spending 8-10 hours a day for years on these groups helping newbies with their problems is that there is no one "best" way to do something. Every person and every situation is different. Some people just aren't comfortable with cycling a tank with fish in it, period: no matter the water changes, no matter the test kits, no matter the plants. And if they want to be relieved that they finally heard of a way to cycle a tank without using fish, then I say let them be happy and use the method; don't rain on their parade just because you don't like the method. All we can do as a group is present them with the sum of our knowledge on how to prevent problems in various ways and let them make the decision about what they're going to do. By the by... But the water change, so simple and so underated.... Yes, they are, but they're not a complete cure-all. And I have also heard on several occasions, and I'm not exaggerating here, well-respected fish store employees telling newbs buying their first tank that they should cycle with several fish (in a 10 gal this is the final stocking level) and _not do any water changes for two months!_ They tell them it will slow down or even stop the cycling process by reducing ammonia levels and in the same breath that they should expect many of the fish to die. And because the poor saps don't understand how these bacteria work, they believe it and probably go do it. What a terrible introduction to the hobby! And talk about something to teach them bad habits... I'm just reminding you what we're up against here. Unfortunately, if these guys aren't lucky enough to look on the net and find some good info about testing and changes before applying the bad advice, then there's a good chance we've lost them to the hobby. But maybe at some point before or after, when they've learned the horrors of cycling with fish the wrong way and don't like the idea of trying the fish method again, they'll see a mention of fishless cycling and that will interest them in trying again more than another round of their LFS's previously-advised toxic waste dump method will. And with fishless cycling, there are so many variations on how you can do it, they certainly can employ water testing and changing as part of the method if they wish. Sure, it doesn't cure every potential problem or bad habit, but only time and experience will do that. I was so lucky when I seriously got started over 10 years ago that these groups existed. I'd had lots of problems with ammonia in goldfish tanks and was about to give up, but when I decided to set up my first tropical tank, I came to Usenet to read how to do it (the web didn't exist yet.) I learned about the nitrogen cycle and used fishless cycling to start the tank - seeded the UGF, dumped in the ammonia, turned up the heat, and tested every day to watch the cycle happen. It cycled in a couple weeks with almost no effort from me, and after a small water change, I added about half the stock and some plants in one day without having to stress anybody out with measurable ammonia exposure for even one minute. After that first effort, I've never had to "cycle" a tank since because of the vast array of techniques I read about and have employed. If only every person could start out like that... :/ Oh, yeah, something about plants to stay on topic...anubii! See ya, Kristen |
#41
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Include plants when cycling tank?
Kristen wrote:
goldfish tanks and was about to give up, but when I decided to set up my first tropical tank, I came to Usenet to read how to do it (the web didn't exist yet.) I learned about the nitrogen cycle and used Actually, it did exist. It was minute compared to what it is now, but it was there. I was using Mosaic at the time to "surf". -- Victor M. Martinez http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv |
#42
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Include plants when cycling tank?
Danae wrote:
Does this sound like a reasonable plan? If I was going with a peaceful I think your plan is great, and I for one appreciate your concern for the well-being of your fish. -- Victor M. Martinez http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv |
#43
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Include plants when cycling tank?
How about for unplanted tanks? Does cycling have a place in those?
A lot of people who post here asking questions about plants don't really have planted tanks. They have standard fishtanks that they plan to put a few live plants in. (Often choosing plants completely unsuited for their light levels, if not for aquariums in general.) =A0 I suspect the original poster might have been one of those, since his main concern was not wanting to have the tank sitting there empty for weeks and weeks. A true planted tank isn't empty, even if there's no fish in it. :-) Leigh I think people make the cycle more difficult than it needs to be regardless of planted or non planted tanks. I have never pre cycled a tank just started out with a small fish load and some gravel to seed the tank. Even without the gravel I have never had any trouble with the process if I don't overload the tank to start out with. As far as plants go I would have to think that some of the bacteria is clinging to them when they are added to the tank so again the tank is seeded. This is just my opinion tho. Vicki On a personal note I think a planted tank is healthier for the fish. I have kept fish in a non planted tank for a long time till this past winter when I started adding live plants. Now I believe that there is more of a balance and my plants are growing like weeds, also I have noticed fish spawning that never did before. |
#44
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Include plants when cycling tank?
no, thats not true--im the original poster =A0 =A0 i didnt mention
wanting a tank full of fish right away =A0 =A0 i just asked if plants should be included when cycling a new tank 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, add some of that ager product, add a limited number of plants and check the ph a few days later =A0 =A0 if all is well i will add a few fish and see how we go how does that sound as a plan? Better yet just swap out his sponge for your new one. That way you get all his nice happy bacteria, he gets a new sponge filter and both of y'all are happy. Add a few fish to feed the bacteria, some low/moderate light plants like amazon swords and enjoy your tank. Just remember to feed the plants and provide them with a nice full spectrum light to grow. Leave the expensive lighting CO2 stuff alone till you are ready for that part of the hobby. Personally I don't use that stuff and all is well. Also keep in mind that many fish don't like extreme lighting anyways. Vicki |
#45
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Include plants when cycling tank?
Better yet just swap out his sponge for your new one. That way you get all his nice happy bacteria, he gets a new sponge filter and both of y'all are happy. Add a few fish to feed the bacteria, some low/moderate light plants like amazon swords and enjoy your tank. Just remember to feed the plants and provide them with a nice full spectrum light to grow. Leave the expensive lighting CO2 stuff alone till you are ready for that part of the hobby. Personally I don't use that stuff and all is well. Also keep in mind that many fish don't like extreme lighting anyways. Vicki OK, thats an improvement on my plan Vicki, thanks. On the subject of lights and plants: the tank is 75 gallon (US), 4' long and has space for 3 tubes. I plan to start off with a modest number of plants, but hope to develop this into a heavily planted tank as time goes by (I work in a tree nursery, so love plants and the challenge of aquatic plants seems like a potential consuming hobby). Any recommendations on the combination of tubes I should buy? |
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