How to Cycle a Tank with Live Plants | Part 2 Cycling Experiments
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ค. 2024
- Find out how live plants can also consume toxic nitrogen waste and cycle your aquarium.
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0:00 Aquarium cycling using live plants
0:57 How the cycling experiment was set up
1:11 Method 3 - Fishless cycling with plants
3:21 How to fishless cycle with live plants
4:04 Method 4 - Fish-in cycling with plants & bottled bacteria
5:20 Tips for fish-in cycling with plants & bottled bacteria
6:00 Downsides of cycling with plants
#girltalksfish #nanofish #plantedaquarium
*Did you miss Part 1 about cycling with ammonia? Catch the 3-part series here: **th-cam.com/play/PLlBBJ7xBuqubL9YSRiZuJY2fpeqzslu8t.html*
You mentioned “quarantine medications” at some point. What kind of medications do you use before introducing your new fish to your tanks?
@@raymondcanute8742 You can see it at the very end of my quarantine video here: th-cam.com/video/Z8WMVVT4b7I/w-d-xo.html
@@GirlTalksFish thanks will watch it. :-)
I just started a new tank, using two cycled filters, cycled gravel and large rocks, and a couple handfuls of plants. The problem is that most of the plants were newly acquired from other peoples tanks, that had different parameters. So they all melted back, and now I’m waiting for new growth to happen. Meanwhile My ammonia and nitrite keep spiking. Apparently this is common. Plants almost always melt, mostly to nothing, when put in new parameters. So instead of helping cycle, they have done the opposite!
Hi, I love your videos. I need some advice on what to do with my brothers new betta fish. He bought it at Petco a couple days ago with a small tank. After hours of TH-cam videos I see he needs minimum 5 gallon tank. I want to buy one asap but don’t want to wait months before the tank is cycled. Any tips as how to I can transition him into a bigger tank asap?
If you add plants or plant cuttings from a established tank, the plants will bring beneficial bacteria into the new tank. Two birds with one stone. Cheers
Thanks :) i bought a new aquarium and wanted some of my old plants in it
So now I know I can put them in there
Ahh very cool, all my plants are from the shop out of their tanks that I assume have been set up for decades
Am I hearing that taking home plants from a tank in a pet store can help?
I've been cycling with simply adding easy to spot foods like waffers. The aquarium running with filter, light and plants. Then I just wait til fuzz or "cotton" grows on the waffer. That tells me bacteria is colonizing and life is there because the food is being eaten by some organisms 😃
Can you tell me more?? when do you add fish? Do u wc before adding fish?
Hey! Thanks for putting in the time and effort so that we don't have to! :) Another fast-growing plant (apart from water sprite) that would be appropriate for starting up a tank is hornwort: _Ceratophyllum demersum._ Practically a weed and available almost everywhere, it'd be well suited for absorbing excess nutrients quickly.
Yes for sure! The only thing I don't like about hornwort is the way it loses needles everywhere if unhappy, but it's definitely great for ponds because of how tall it can grow.
This was how I cycled my first tanks last year. It was fully cycled when I saw an initial burst of ammonia, then seeing a lot of nitrites, then nitrates, then everything fell to 0. When I was getting 0 on all of them, my tank was cycled. This took a month.
This is super helpful! I am interested in what part 3 will show and your final thoughts. Thanks for doing this!
Finally! The much awaited sequel is out!
Thanks for this video, can't wait to see the next on the series!
I HOPE WHOEVER SEES THIS HAS A GREAT DAY! 💙
I hope u have a great lives
My favorite fish channel you’re amazing. So dedicated and authentic
I love the written recaps and tips at the end! Really helps a visual person like me. I'm setting up a new tank tomorrow and I'm going to do the plant cycling with snails and squeezins as Dr Erik Johnson would say from my other tank. Can't wait to see if you think that's the best method!
Oh cool, I'm definitely a visual learner myself, so glad you found it helpful! Best of luck with your new tank. :)
im new to aquascaping, i like your videos better than the others..this channel is underrated. :)
Love this video Irene thank you for sharing your experience!!! Great information!!!🙏🌿🐟🌿🦐🤗
Aww, my pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it. :)
This is incredibly timely. I just laid down the Aquasolum Black Humate substrate a few days ago, along with my driftwood and rock, and now that the water has cleared up I want to start adding plants.
Awesome! Best of luck on your planted tank. 🌱
Your video's are very relaxing!
Once again lovely video ❤️👏🏻
Love your videos!
Thank you for this information I used it just in time 😉👍
Thanks for sharing, Worth remembering that some substrates will also leach ammonia, and the ph and carbonate hardness will have an influence on the growth of beneficial bacteria
You are one beautiful fish keeper. Enjoy your information on keeping fish and growing plants.
Great experiment!
just subed thanks for this great channel and these awesome videos ✌👍
You have awesome videos, but I’m fuming right now. I’m ten years old and very interested in keeping a beta fish. I told my mom about the sale at Petco, a dollar per gallon. So, i can get a ten gallon for ten dollars. I told my mom that i might be interested in getting a ten gallon instead of a 5 gallon. She said “a ten gallon?!? Aren’t you just keeping one fish?” I said “yeah, a beta, but the more space the better” btw, she kept many fish in the past. She said “one beta in a ten gallon?! Im pretty sure bettas like smaller spaces. Wouldn’t you rather have ten pretty fish?” I said “betas are good for beginners. Plus, if I decided to keep a bunch of fish i would have to do 85% more research.” She then said “Mia, its just fish. You don’t need to research.” At this point, I’m pissed. It always has to be her way. No Mia, you can’t have a dog. No Mia you cant have a lizard. Now i want a decent sized tank for my beta and she says no? Wtf?!? Btw, i also wanted to keep live plants and shrimp in my tank.
Just like you see in this video, you can get a 10 gallon tote and have your fish. The sides may be a little opaque but you can choose a more transparent one, as well as a 10 gallon tote is cheaper than a 10-gallon tank
Great informative video thank you
I've always used plants and a mystery snail for the infusoria they produce.
👍💓👍
loving this series!
Sweet! Stay tuned for the last video, Part 3, next week.
Curious to know how often you added the liquid fertilizer to the planted tank? I currently just started cycling a new planted tank! Thank you
This is a great series. Thanks Irene,
You are so welcome!
I’m new to the hobby and I absolutely love this channel. Well done you do really help out all over the world 👍👍👍
My pleasure! I'm so glad you found this video helpful. :)
There’s gonna be hours of research and even when you do everything %100 right, you’ll still be confused. 😂😂 I have so much anxiety over if I’m doing it right but I know I did but stilllll
Great Job, thanks for sharing!
Thanks a bunch! Always glad to see you in the comments on my videos. 😊
Great video
Great video! Really informative. With method 4, adding the bacteria with plants, would you also recommend adding ammonia as well to add additional food since the plants and bacteria would be competing for it? Unsure if the bacteria growth would slow down without it since its competing with the plants.
Great video! Btw where did you get the floater ring to protect the floaters?
thats cool, i like to use money plants and lucky bamboo, etc. what other plants do you all use?
Hey thank you for the video, it helps me understand my fishless cycling process with plants. I have been dosing pure ammonia and nitrifying bottle and I saw ammonia and nitrite spike, but I keep having nitrate staying at 5ppm throughout the cycling process. Then I realized that my plants would've been consuming nitrate as I can see new leaves and roots coming out. In short, fishless cycling with plants versus without plants can be difference as with plants, you may not experience ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spikes as plants can consume all of that. In my case I still have NH3 and nitrite spikes because I added 4ppm of NH3 and nitrifying bacteria.
Thank you Irene, very informative video as per usual :)
I typically cycle my competition tanks in a 2 week window with ADA Bacter 100, CO2, with like you said, plants, and a little bit of fish food. Good biological filtration media such as Seachem Matrix is essential for any nature planted aquarium. Only then I add fish.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing. :)
Thanks!
Thank You
Thank you for this video. I didn’t know about the options. Do you change water during the cycle after adding the quarantine meds? The erythromycin may be killing any Beneficial bacteria growth since it is new and not established
Hmm, I usually change water any time I finish treatment with medicine and then I only changed it if the fish were in danger or nitrates were getting too high (which didn't happen much with live plants). Yes, I've seen that erythromycin has a warning on the box about not being safe for beneficial bacteria, but I've never had an aquarium lose its cycle or get a bacterial bloom whenever I use that antibiotic, so it doesn't seem to harm beneficial bacteria in my personal experience.
I cycled with some bottled bacteria and Java moss, was ready to go in about 2 weeks. I didn’t test until the water cleared up so it could have been ready quicker than that.
I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!
So glad you enjoy them!
Great video. I really don't like cycling the tanks. I have found that for me using live plants and instant beneficial bacteria works. Of course, I only have two nano tanks. Each are 5 gallons and one tank I have had for 4 months the for only one month. One tank has a Dumbo ear male betta. His name is Monet. He is red and white. He needs to live alone. He kept knocking the snail friend I got him off of the tank side, plants, or rocks. It's a nirite snail. So, I removed my snail. One day at the fish supply store another Half-moon male betta swam to the front of his cup and wiggled his fins at me. He is a blue and red. I named him Buddy. Buddy and Yankee now live in 6.8 gallon tank. Buddy doesn't bother Yankee at all. My plants have new growth. My fish and snail are alive. I have Anubis petite and Golden anubis in one tank plus two small merimo balls. The other tank has Anubis and Amazon sword plus a large merimo ball.
Where did you get that tube
Thx I’m going to to a 2.7 gallon shrimp tank I might think about adding a little bit more fast growing plants in it now though
Good job
Thanks for the information and hard work.... Just one question.... Is it OK to add meds to the tank that have plants.... And would that be the reason for the plants melting?
can you do a video with the novack anoxic biocenesis method?
I do appreciate your informative videos, Irene. In this video you mentioned that you did not feed your fish for one week because of quarantine medication (and another reason). In case you have to medicate your fish for reason other than quarantine, do you also withhold their food while they are being treated?
Great video. I will be doing a fishless cycle, do you think I can use fish food(flakes) instead of fertilizer. My 10 gallon will have java moss and java fern with a gravel substrate.
Hey, I have recently started a tropical 20g aquarium and I am looking for center piece fish ideas. I am open to any suggestions and any at all would be greatly appreciated.
I used this method for the first week and added an established hob filter during week 2 . My plants had a noticeable difference In growth with the established media . 👍🏼have 2 red dumbo mosaic guppies in it now
What was this difference? What happened?
That's great to hear! The guppies sound gorgeous.
Tq for your amazing videos 😍🥰💕👍✨. I have gained a lot of new information.
My pleasure - glad you found it helpful!
I have a tray in my canister filter that I fill up with extra media i can use for new tanks. I replace it when it gets low. Now i never have to wait to cycle an aquarium. Sponge filters are great as well.
Thank you so much for making these videos it really helped me! I have a question though, if I used the fishless cycling with plants method how long would I have to wait to put my betta in?
I would wait until the plants are established(I'm also doing a fish less cycle with plants) which I read would take about 3-4weeks. The plants will stop melting and they would be rooted to the substrate. I did make a mistake where I had hornwort(a lot of people recommend it but I personally would not!) and it stated melting and shed bunch of needles that raised the ammonia level, and it was a pain to clean it up! Be prepared to do bunch of water change, having too much ammonia kills plants, especially when they're adjusting to new environment.
What was the powder and blue stuff you added in method 4?
I like this method
What kind of paint do you use gloss or matte
Hello. I really truly appreciate this info., especially being new to this hobby (planted, low tech aquarium). I do need help with these important questions a.s.a.p. as I have a new tank and plants arriving by mail in a few days... What exact order is best for a new tank with no beneficial bacteria and city water. Am I to add the declorinator, quick start bacteria and plant fertilizer (with plants in tank), in that order? Also, what should the timing be between adding these? When do I use the test strips to check the tank parameters and should I do water changes at first? Lastly, I have a freshwater 32.5 Fluval flex that's newly purchased for reference. THANK YOU kindly for your time and sharing this knowledge! Tamara
i also did fish-in cycling with my last round of tanks (3 10gals), and fluval tank starter. tbh i didn't do measurements/testing like i probably should have. i just did frequent water changes, knowing the bacteria needed time to grow and establish and that i needed to keep ammonia down. had those tanks running 2 years now. so, just saying it is possible though arguably a little more work because of water changes. but i thought it was worth it.
Can you do a video about anoxic filters?
You make great videos, just an idea how about the best fry grow out tank?
Hmm, I usually include lots of moss, algae, biofilm... and no adult fish that might eat them. :)
none of my fish died or anything, but i used the same way to cycle my tank and got a similar ammonia spike out of nowhere about the same time frame, i assumed it was due to a higher amount of fertilizer in the start, when i put in the fertilizer there was no ammonia or nitrites showing... I'm wondering if maybe your spike was a similar one to mine, and it is being caused by the initial addition of ammonium nitrite
Please explain what you mean by they were on quarantine medications. How does this replace feeding?
If I used used substrate from another cycled betta tank how long would it take to cycle a 20 gallon aquarium with a new sponge filter and new heater and no fish? Thank you so much!
my question is, can you do this in your tank? and if the tank was a 29 gallon with nine fish eventually being added would that be okay?
I'm not being picky... Just curious. The plants came from Aquarium Co-op correct? I know they have snails cause I now have snails in my tank.... But I think they also have fish in the plant tanks. Wouldnt there be some bacteria introduced in the plants/rockwool?
Great question! I want to know the same thing! Hope you get an answer.
Yes, I believe there is some beneficial bacteria that gets introduced from the live plants, which also helps with the cycle. I tend to remove the rock wool and do an alum soak to get rid of snails, so not sure how much beneficial bacteria remains but there's probably a little left.
I did this and thought I was set and added fish, but now I'm getting a nitrite spike I can't seem to shake! Turns out I have somewhere between .25 and .5 nitrites in my tap water. I switched over to bottled spring water but the nitrites are still spiking! I never read any ammonia. It's maddening!
Girl Talks Fish, I have a question. Would it be possible to cycle a "dirted" tank without fish? Would the dirt/potting soil/garden soil/compost be enough to produce ammonia for the beneficial bacteria to eat and turn into food for plants or would you still have to add fish?
My tap water has a small amount of ammonia in it. When i go to do water changes, is that going to be a concern for me?
I'm actually cycling the plant way at moment almost a month in and some of my jave fern has died off. And new shoots are growing and little bits of algae starting to appear on glass so Im just leaving the dead leaves in the tank so it causes some ammonia to build. so probably be 2 months in total before I add a betta.
@just me yo yeah I got him about 2 weeks ago settled in nicely I'll be doing a short video soon on TH-cam show people what he looks like.
@just me yo what about you ? Do you have a betta or any sort of fish
@just me yo that was my first tropical fish were neons but I didn't know how to look after fish back then now I understand everything water quality and testing. I'm also interested in getting some white cloud minnows
I have a aquaponic system and i was wondering why I never had a spike and now I know why.
I'm on day 3 of setting up a new tank using an old hang on back filter to help cycle the tank. Im already receiving 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite with 5 ppm of nitrates. Isn't that considered cycled?
Thank you for such an informative video! Can I ask what exactly you need in your tank while cycling? I understand what you need TO cycle, but should you have decorations and everything setup while you're cycling as well?
Yes. The decor stuff gives a place for the bacteria to grow.
I cycled my angelfish fry grow out tank using the TopFin bacterial starter dosed daily for 5 days. Have NEVER seen an ammonia spike, and nitrates started almost immediately!
Yay, glad to hear it worked for you!
Just a thought that occurred to me after watching your part 1. There is ammonia in bleach. Those tubs can most likely have scratches and cuts in them that can hold small particulates of the bleach being used and that could be why your test never read 0 in ammonia.
Chlorine evaporates, and bleach doesn’t have ammonia.
@@maryannadkins-bahena1178 yes it does lol
@@white_tyson you can literally google it. Bleach doesn’t have ammonia, in fact, mixing the two causes caustic gasses.
Do you wait 4-5 weeks to add fish AFTER you see algae growth?? Like once you see algae then start counting weeks? Do you change the water during these weeks?
This was a really awesome video! Super helpful and really well laid out. Since it wasn't posted too long ago, maybe someone could help me out--I'm trying to cycle a tank to keep cherry shrimp, right now I've got a 10 gallon with about 7 small plants in it that's been sitting (with a mechanical filter on) for about a week. How do I know when the tank is cycled? I've used PURE bacteria balls to try to introduce some good bacteria, and there's biofilm on every surface and some algae on the glass. I've tested the water twice a day since I got it and the nitrite and nitrate levels have stayed at 0. Any help would be really really appreciated, I don't want to introduce the shrimp until it's safe!
Sorry that this is late but if your tank is cycled the readings will be 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, with about 5-20 nitrate.
@@r3algoat977 I thought I'd comment for other readers, too, even though it's a year old. She didn't mention what her ammonia reading was, but my guess is it was either high or also non-existent and the cycle hadn't even gotten started. There's no way to cycle a tank in one week and be confident with it. There still wouldn't be enough bacterial growth to process the higher amounts of ammonia that fish or shrimp would produce. You have to see the nitrate readings skyrocket along with 0 ammonia and nitrate, then you can be more sure.
API QuickStart and leaf zone, plants from a cycled tank like Java fern and guppy grass with a cycled sponge filter = add fish that day. Test the water every day and you should be fine. That’s how I start every tank i set up.
Fishless cycling with planted tank you used fertilisers, was that everyday? Or twice a week like it says on the bottle. No water changes I’m guessing aswell?
6:23 ✨ pretty ✨
Wait can't i just get a tank with a lot of slow and fast growin plants and leave it without any ferts so when the slow growimg plants start to die the ammonia will get comsumed by the fast growin plants kick startIng the cycle
I’m new to the hobby and Im having trouble because I been cycling my new aquarium since March 27th I’m in my 4th week and I I’m having no ammonia readings or no nitrite, or no nitrate. I’m thinking something is wrong because I used fritz zyme 7. And still nothing I put fish flakes but nothing any ideas, and what to do maybe I need partial water change? I don’t know I’m lost I have no friends that owns any aquarium lol so I’m burnout looking I’m TH-cam answer lol.
Ah yes, another quality video
Why thank you!
Going to copy your quarantine tub procedures.
Is easy green safe for axolotls?
4-5 weeks? So my little old two weeks weren’t really enough?😨
What are the floating plants with the long roots?
Amazon frogbit - one of my fav floating plants! 🐸
@@GirlTalksFish thanks for replying!
My experience with plant cyclinh not went well. First few weeks no ammonia no nitrite and no nitrate. Then second month nitrite shoot up.
No ammonia means no nitrite, and no nitrite means no nitrate (or let's say it's not totally 0 ammonia but it is very low, not enough to cycle a tank for fish without waiting more time for ammonia to be present in larger amounts).
However, a plausible explanation for why you see nitrite in the 2nd month is that plant debris or material is starting to decay and bacteria is growing, just at a slower pace if you were not having ready sources of something for the bacteria (until the plant matter became available). but that's just a guess based on what 2 sentences and their possible implications.
Very good info. There are so many ways to cycle your tank. Whatever you use go slow and don’t put to many fish in at one time. For few weeks before I add fish I put food in a empty tank to feed the bacteria while I dose with Seachem stability. It works to quickly to establish the bacteria. Then I add 3-4 fish usually Cory cats. Usually that does the trick. Just be patient as you build up the population. You don’t want to exceed the capacity of the bacteria you have. PS. Love your nails😂
Thanks for the tips! Haha, I'm very happy someone noticed my second secret hobby. 💅
🤣 We all have our secrete hobbies! Mine is watching fish tubers like you. Enjoy your channel!
Hi! So I just got a betta fish from the pet store last night. I love him so much already, but he only stays at the top or the tank, and even when he swims towards the bottom of the tank, he floats back up to the top of the tank about a second later. Is this normal for a betta fish? Or is he sick?
Does he literally float up and he is not using his fins or is he using his fins to go up?
BEEPO VEWS he doesn’t use his fins, he just floats ups, tail first
@@astrotrixiekat1653 that sounds like swim Blatter disease, look up a video on it and if it looks like that's what your fish is doing then look up ways to solve it. I know there's one way that involves a pea but that's about as much I know .
BEEPO VEWS I looked up a few videos and articles on swim bladder disease, and turns out, yep! My betta did have it! But after feeding him 1/4 of a pea each day, he seems to be looking a lot better now! Thanks 😊!!
@@astrotrixiekat1653 Yay! You are very welcome. Just keep doing that until he looks normal again or whatever the treatment video says.
Hi! What is your target ppm levels of ammonia and try to maintain it until it converts into nitrites? some say it's 3ppm, some says 1-2ppm. that's why i am confused. thank you !
I'd say between 1-3 ppm is pretty safe. I didn't have much luck with cycling when the ammonia got to 4-5 ppm.
@@GirlTalksFish wow, really have to monitor closely if that is the case. if the ammonia levels goes too high like 4-5ppm, should i lessen adding fish pellets to the tank? Im doing fishless cycling.
@@vickylim3669 Yes and I would also do a water change to remove some of the ammonia if you accidentally go too high.
@@GirlTalksFish Thanks! That is very helpful!
Hi! I just found mosquito larvae in my fish tank, may I know how to get rid of them? since i am doing a fishless cycle, i've got no fish to eat them. thanks.
Hi - about a week ago my Betta fish dies - it did not seem to have any type of contagious disease - maybe dropsy as it got quite swollen quite quickly and died within 3 days poor little thing!! I did quite a large water change but did not clean out my filter sponge so as to keep beneficial bacteria there hopefully.......I wanted to change the sand for gravel so did that......kept the same plants in the aquarium but added some wood for a new setup.......but I think I have lost the cycle that existed.....now I get no readings for ammonia, nitrates or nitrites!!!! I have put in beneficial bacteria and there are snails in the tank and I am adding flakes each day - which the snails eat!! Am I doing the right thing to get it cycled again???? I do not want to add fish till it is cycled!!! When I originally set up the brand new tank I was told to add a piece of prawn to kick start the cycle and it did work - about 3 weeks but I was hoping this would all be very much quicker as it is not a brand new tank - look forward to your reply - Kay
Thank you so much. I'm cycling a 10 gallon with plants right now. Set it up a week ago, added bacteria yesterday, and want to add fish soon. Plan is for a betta with some tetra and a few cory. I'll add them a few at a time and give a week or two between each breed. Who should I get first, tetra, corys or the betta?
Hmm, I would say the tetras or cories first, and then the betta fish last. I added cories first for my first tank because they're such great scavengers.
@@GirlTalksFish sounds good. I kind of thought the betta last too so he wouldn't think the other fish were in his territory, but then again I don't know what they are thinking. 😊
okok i want to ‘gift’ someone a planted tank for christmas, once i get it set up w the plants and stuff i should leave it on as if there was a fish, right, and use the api quick start? or some other bacteria starter? i would leave it for a week or two after that?
so you didn't add ammonia in the fishless planted cycle
Why would you add bacteria before dozing it with anti bacterial methylene blue ???
It totally nullifies the effect !!
Irene help!! Not related to the vid but can I keep Danios and Guppies together?? Thank you very much for those who'll answer :3
You can ! but the danios might eat the baby guppies but you just need a lot of plants
I had this VERY conundrum -- is the nitrate from EG or from cycle..... Ugh.... 🇹🇼🇹🇼🇹🇼😊
Haha, right? Those plants are hungry nitrogen sponges.
@@GirlTalksFish but is there a WAY to know if you're cycled? I know I'm NOT cycled if I see ammn. But how do I know nitrates are from true cycle, not EG? HM......
@@byz513 Yes, that's what I tried to explain at the end of the video - "cycled" just means that you have enough biological filtration (whether from plants or bacteria) so that you never see any ammonia or nitrite. You cannot count on the nitrate measurement unless you plan on cycling only with bacteria. However, I like using plants as part of my biological filtration because they will also consume nitrate (unlike the beneficial bacteria) so you don't have to do water changes as often.
@@GirlTalksFish I guess it's time to ditch the
EG 😆 J/K
My name is Mio too!!!
i use cycled canister filters every time i start up a new tank. i always run 2 on every 90 gallon discus tanks.i always have spare canisters ready to go, this jumps starts the good bacteria. joe h navy seabee
Nice! I do the same thing, but with sponge filters. My aquariums are probably a lot smaller than yours though. :P
I cycled my tanks with fish and lots of plants since the fish are my ammonia source (on a much lower potency scale) and it was quite an interesting experience