[MikeinFL]

Hi. I have started a new planted tank in a BioCube 29 gallon tank. I started the tank 2 1/2 weeks ago. As a substrate I used Eco-Complete Black substrate. I have a total of 9 plants (cryps and water sprite)in the tank along with 3 banana plants. I also have 3 Tetra fish and one Siamese Algae Cleaner fish. My question is that I have never seen an ammonia or a nitrite spike. They are both at zero. Also Nitrate is at Zero. Is this normal or is the cycling process taking longer than normal? The fish look healthy and happy. Some of the plants' leaves are turning yellow and brown but only the leaves at the tips of the plants. I have some hair algae, so I tested the phosphates which were 1 ppm. I just but in a media to take out phosphate. I also started putting in Flourish Excel to see if that helped out the plants' leaves, no change yet. I am also using the stock bulbs that came with the biocube (10000 w) I have read that that may be too high and should get a 6700 bulb. Any advice? Thanks.

 

[Postal Penguin]

You probably do not have enough bio-load to generate an ammonia spike, especially with the plants. Crypt plants normally melt after being moved into a new tank so don't worry if you see them look like they are dying. And many people have success using 10K bulbs to grow plants so I don't think you need to change.

 

[MikeinFL]

Do I need more fish? How should I increase bio-load or is it normal with all the plants to not see a spike?

 

[wkndracer]

Plants eat ammonia (preferred over nitrates) so you probably won't see a cycle. PO4 at 1ppm is needed for the plants so I would not chemically remove it. You'll need ferts. for the plants and add fish slowly as the the tank seasons and settles in. Welcome to the world of fish and weeds.
Water Sprite is a good starter, (cleaning the water column)

Heres a great site touching on all the basics.
http://www.rexgrigg.com/