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When to add Shrim/Fish to a new tanks?

Bobtastic

Member
Joined
13 May 2009
Messages
745
Location
Manchester, UK
Hi all,

I've just recently setup a new planted tank. I've had the filter has been running for months in with the tanks scaped (with Aquasoil capped with sand) but just recently, a week ago, planted the plants I have received. I am wondering how long I should wait before adding shrimp or fish? I'm starting to feel the pressure from the gf about it not having anything in it...

Thanks in advance!
 
I haven't cycled the filter fishlessly, if that's what you mean. I started to add some ammonia initially and added some water that had mature filter media "squeezed into to start it off, but that's about it really...

I was under the impression that you didn't have to cycle the tank in the normal way with a planted tank?
 
If you JUST keep plants then no you don't have to cycle the tank but you will have to cycle if keeping fish. Plants don't produce ammonia but fish do.

You can add ammonia to do a fishless cycle and then stock to the full load almost immediately or add the fish in small numbers slowly building up the stock. Do not just add lots of fish straight off as you'll just have problems and be doing water changes every day.

Lots of people swear by fishless cycling with ammonia. You can't harm the fish if there are none present afterall. Plants don't mind ammonia in the water and will utilise some of it as food. Ammonia can promote algae though so be prepared for an outbreak although it's by no means certain you'll get one.

I did my cycle with fish. I have a 180 litre tank and added just 6 smallish fish for a start. I had no ammonia spikes that I could detect so I didn't have to do massive water changes to keep levels low. Once you've cycled like this you can increase the load quicker as there is already bacteria so the filter can catch up to the load levels much better as the bacteria double their number roughly every 12-14 hours or so instead of having to build up from none to millions.
 
Yeah, I know about cycling tanks, I was just under the impression that it wasn't as necessary. The term "silent cycle" has been used in the past for cycling planted tanks.

I was more interested in from a plant point of view how long after planting should you wait before you start introducing live stock?

I don't intend to stick in the full bio load, just a couple of fish or shrimp, I just didn't want that to cause problems for the plants.
 
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