# Nitrogen Cycle & The Planted Aquarium



## mark4785 (10 Sep 2011)

When a person has completed a fishless nitogen cycle (with pure ammonia solution), should there be any concern of the nitrogen cycle failing or becoming disrupted if the aquarium is promptly converted into a planted aquarium?

The reason I ask this question is because many nitrogen cycles are sped up by artificially increasing the water PH level with bicarbonate of soda. It seems to be a well known phenomenon that decreasing the PH (or even temperature!) can severely disrupt the already established cycle; in a planted aquarium I've known the PH drop to 6.4 in an aquarium which had a PH of 8.4 during cycling. This difference occurred in a large volume of water, but the ordinary tank that I wish to convert into a planted aquarium is much smaller and thus ammonia/nitrite levels will obviously rise quicker and higher.

Is there any aspect of the planted aquarium that would allow for a nitrogen cycle to start? I was wondering about this since I know some plants have a natural die back and thus they will eventually become a source of ammonia for growing filter bacteria. In addition, I've seen many people produce YT tutorials of their new planted aquarium which they seemingly chuck fish into without any hint of growing filter bacteria beforehand.

Any responses to these questions would be highly appreciated.

Mark.


----------



## mark4785 (11 Sep 2011)

Bump.


----------



## hotweldfire (11 Sep 2011)

The only argument I've seen for how you might stall the cycle is around KH, not PH. There's this thread on PFK:

http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/showthread.php?t=77688

My understanding is that it is a PH of less than 6 that you need to be worried about.


----------



## mark4785 (11 Sep 2011)

hotweldfire said:
			
		

> The only argument I've seen for how you might stall the cycle is around KH, not PH. There's this thread on PFK:
> 
> http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/showthread.php?t=77688
> 
> My understanding is that it is a PH of less than 6 that you need to be worried about.



Thank you for the URL. There's some interesting ideas mentioned on that forum.


----------



## dw1305 (12 Sep 2011)

Hi all,
There is no need to cycle a planted aquarium, as long as you have a reasonable plant biomass. Planted aquariums are never cycled in the way that an unplanted one would be. I think that using ammonia to cycle a filter is likely to lead to problems later on, and I would never recommend it. Having said that I don't think you have anything to worry about in converting to planted, the oxgen production from photosynthesis is going to produce the O2 needed for the NH3 > NO2 > NO3 conversion.

I leave the fish introduction to when the plants are rooted and growing actively. I just plant the tanks and then leave them, I've never done it, but I would assume with CO2 and EI, this could be a reasonably quick process of a few weeks. I leave the tanks longer, but only because I want some biofilm and DOC development, and for the introduced microfauna (_Asellus, Daphnia_, Red Cherry shrimps etc.) to build up population numbers.

As "hotweldfire" says as long as there is some dKH and the pH doesn't fall below pH5.5, you should be fine.

cheers Darrel


----------



## plantbrain (13 Sep 2011)

I've never needed to, or ever lost any fish due to "cycling". The cycle is silent if you use plants, or a mature filter, or mulmy filth from an old sponge media filter etc, old sediment etc.......

Plants have bacteria all over them.


----------



## mark4785 (22 Sep 2011)

How long would I need to wait in order to introduce fish? I've not chosen my stock yet, I was either going to go for very hardy black neon tetras or the unbelievably sensitive German Blue Ram.


----------

