Hey Everyone!! Would appreaciate some help!

[LSuar18]

Hi Everyone!!! I have been lurking around and here it is, my first post!!

Let me preface this by saying: We have basically NEVER done this before...EVER. bwahahahaha

So here's the sitch: My fiance and I are going to start a tank. Aqueon Evolve 8 gallon using the stock filter and LED light (wish it was bigger, but space is limited and i had to talk him into going up to 8g ). We want to do a planted low tech tank (no CO2, ok with ferts, just nothing overboard) with some *small* fish and maybe shrimp or a snail or two...not too hung up on stocking at this point (as we can work on that while cycling). I have read up on cycling, so i know that is a must, and we are planning on fishless.

My Q: I'm just a little hazy on the exact step by step starting process when we are doing plants and fish. Do we plant, add water, and then cycle with the plants in there, then once cycled add fish? Or do we cycle first then remove and hold water, add plants and put the cycled water back,THEN slowly add fish? Just want to make sure we get off to the best possible start!

Thanks in advance for all the help, sorry for the long post!

[maverickbr77]

Planting right at the start is what most people do as the plants often have a lot of the good bugs on them so your cycle will go faster.

[Ozydego]

Welcome to the forum!

As far as cycling goes, think about planting as completely seperate to the cycle.

For the cycle, get the bacteria eating 4ppm of ammonia in 24 hours and then stock it. This can take a month or sometimes longer if you get a stall in the process. As far as planting goes, Unless you are doing a dry start method (DSM) then you can plant at the time of filling or after. The plants will not hurt the cycle and depending on the plants, it could be good for them once the nitrates start being produced. It also gives you something to do while waiting for the cycle

[LSuar18]

Great!!! Thank you guys so much!! That really clears it up for me!

[pejerrey]

I will plant heavily in to start and while it cycles move things around to make the aquascape nicer.

Use this time to learn more about planted tanks. Read read read!

Make sure the light is not more than 6hrs while it cycles. I "believe" that helps avoid algae.

After 6 weeks test the water and start adding critters slowly every two weeks apart at least. In that tank I would use ember tetras.

Get a API master test kit. Way cheaper that way.

Get plants from vendors here, way cheaper that way too.

Good luck and start a journal!

[Ozydego]

If you are doing a fishless cycle, the tank would be ready for a full stock at the end of the cycle, thats assuming you are dosing ammonia up to 4ppm and monitor. Even an overstocked tank would be hard pressed to output 4ppm per day, thats why 4ppm is the standard. For those that have not read it, or if the OP has not either, this is an awesome guide to fishless cycling.

the-almost-complete-guide-and-faq-to-fishless-cycling/

[CryptKeeper54]

Pooky125 did an excellent job scaping the aqueon you will be using. You can search for her name and/or check out my site (click my sig pic) to read about her experiences with that particular tank.

[LSuar18]

Thanks! Yea, I saw her tank! FABULOUS!!! I was still a little on the fence about whether or not it was a good tank to rock with and hers def helped solidfy the decision!