[fresh_lynny]

OK I am getting ready to start my fishless cycle, so...cheap, stem, fast growing, but not ugly lol Please give props to your favorite fast growing nitrate absorbing, green leafy buddy so I can load up my 90 gal with it to get this show in the road... THANKS in advance :fish: :fish1: :fish:

 

[JonMulzer]

Fishless cycle or silent cycle? Please tell me you are not going to fishless cycle?

 

[dschmeh]

how much light do you have .
you should base your plant selection on that.

cabomba,hornwort, elodea,hygrophilia are all pretty fast growers to start.

 

[tazcrash69]

I'd add Anacharis, watersprite, wisteria, and Ludwidgia to the above

 

[MoonFish]

cheap hygro and some hornwort. A+

 

[Betowess]

You can bring on some fish with enough plants. The plants will take up all the ammonia. I'm not talking alot of fish. Just a few Danios.

Plants, I second the Wisteria and egeria/elodea. But the fastest growing weed in the world has got to be Asian Ambulia (Limnophila aquatica) and its really pretty too. Oh, I just saw the Not Ugly part. Cut the Elodea and go for Sunset hygro. And two other candidates that grow almost as fast as the L aquatica are Stargrass and Brazilian Pennywort. Both are nice looking weeds. Stargrass' scientific name is Heteranthera zosterifolia and B.pennywort is Hydrocotyle leucocephala.

 

[Rex Grigg]

In my Guide, under the Cycling section there is a great list of plants.

One of my favorites is Mexican Oakleaf.

 

[medicineman]

Cant imagine a tank without any fauna.... :eek5:

How about filling with just a couple of cleaning crews like oto or algae shrimp to help clean up the plants while helping with the cycle? Those wont hurt the balance at all....

 

[mr.gaboozlebag]

Can't have otto's til you get a good starter algea growth.

 

[2wheelsx2]

I got otos right away when I started. Then realized that they may have nothing to eat, so I just tossed in a veggie wafer once a week. They got all plump and happy right off the bat.

 

[fresh_lynny]

crapola...typo typo I MEANT FISH CYCLE BUT SETUP START UP....SORRY ALL, TYPO...I KNOW NOT TO FISHLESS CYCLE A PLANTED TANK...

 

[fresh_lynny]

Ok Revision

I am starting the silent cycle on my 90 gal with 10000 HQI 96x2 actinic 4 lunar...and will have pressurized CO2
Need species for my 3 week ugly jungle period to use up stuff and condition my tank

suggestions?

 

[leemacnyc]

Why not fishless cycle?

 

[fresh_lynny]

lee, planted tanks don't require one. The key is to have healthy plant growth with a few crotters in there to start. The plants absorb the ammonia and the fishies add mulm and nitrates so it is symbiosis of sorts....better for fish and plants in a heavily and I stress, heavily planted tank to have both from the start. Not a lot of critters, you can add more later after everthing gets established, just a few to start...

 

[uncskainch]

I wanted to jump in on this thread and ask -- in a 5 gallon hex, I have added two bunches of moneywort, a bunch of Brazilian pennywort, an anubias, 5 java moss covered rocks, a java fern covered rock, a crypt (lutea) and a pelia covered rock. Enough for a silent cycle, or should I put some more fast-growers in there?