# Live planted tank fishless cycle help



## FishN00b83 (Jul 28, 2011)

I am very confused at this point, I can't seem to find definitive answer anywhere. I am planning to have a heavily planted Co2 injected 40 breeder. I am just waiting for the Eco-Complete to get here and I'm ready to go. 

How should I go about cycling my tank and setting up the aquascape? Cycle first, then plant? Plant, inject Co2 then cycle? Will the Co2 affect the cycle? Will the Eco-Complete affect the cycle? How do you guys go about this? I've been on a few forums and no one seems to have an answer.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

with plants is a liitte different as plants will detoxify the tank sooner so get it all together up and running with plants and in about a week you should be good to start adding some hardier fish. and go on from there..

do you have any other tanks running? a way i use often to get my tanks running sooner is that i switch filters around from an existing running tank to the new one. works like a charm! and i add fish within a day


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## FishN00b83 (Jul 28, 2011)

I am trying not to add fish until the tank is cycled, thats my concern right now.


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## jeremy1 (May 6, 2007)

You need fish to cycle your tank. Get some cheap ones because there may be some die off.


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## vicky (Feb 18, 2010)

Actually, you can do a fishless cycle. Google it, there is a lot of info out there. I'd plant first, then make sure I wasn't adding so much ammonia that it hurt the plants. Fishless is a great method as ammonia causes permanent damage to fish gills. 

I don't use CO2, but it makes sense to me to add it when you add the plants. Good luck and let us know how it goes.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

People have added ammonia to cycle instead of fish. Your tank will cycle even with just plants. As the leaves die and decompose they will give off ammonia and bacteria will form. Plants do shed their leaves eventually and they will rot, supply ammonia and then then healthy stems will take up the ammonia. If you add fish the plants will ALSO take up the ammonia from the fish waste. Set up your tank with everything you will need, plants, CO2, light... whatever you plan on using. PLANT HEAVY. If you plant HEAVY AND plan to do water changes every couple of days for the first week you can add fish right away. Make sure the fish you add are not particularly delicate.

I just set up a tank for my grandaughter. We used an inert gravel, planted VERY HEAVY and changed water every couple of days for the first week. We added glo light danios, a betta, and otos. Everyone was fine. We also made sure to add a fast growing floating plant that we knew would suck up any ammonia. We used hornwort, but you can use water sprite or any fast grower. Good luck with your new tank!


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

If you have a heavily planted 40 gallon tank you can add some fish on day one without fear for their safety. 

"Cycling" simply means making the aquarium suitable for its animal inhabitants. In planted aquariums, "cycling" gets far more attention than it deserves, IMO.

Bill


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## FishN00b83 (Jul 28, 2011)

aquabillpers said:


> If you have a heavily planted 40 gallon tank you can add some fish on day one without fear for their safety.
> 
> "Cycling" simply means making the aquarium suitable for its animal inhabitants. In planted aquariums, "cycling" gets far more attention than it deserves, IMO.
> 
> Bill


Cycling is building up the bacteria in your filter/tank that convert the ammonia to nitrAtes so the fish waste doesnt get kill the fish. IDK I just want to make sure its safe for the fish to be in there.


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## FishN00b83 (Jul 28, 2011)

I'll definitely update the thread soon! I'm really excited, this is my first real fish tank.


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