# How long should i wait to put my fishes



## lawrencesoh

ermm i have a 40 litres tank that i have planted 1 day ago
someone told me that fishes are not to be put into immediately
i dont noe y and also how long more should i wait to put them
can anyone tell me


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## lauraleellbp

You need to check the water chemistry- that is what will tell you. The ammonia and nitrIte levels need to be 0ppm and stay at 0ppm for at least several days before it's safe to add fish. Depending on how heavily you planted your tank, you may already be there, or you may need to wait a week or two. When you do go to add fish, just add a very few and check your ammonia and nitrIte again over the next few days. Stable at 0ppm is what you need to be safe to add fish.


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## DaveS

If you have a planted tank with no live animals in it, you shouldn't be getting any ammonia or nitrite readings anyhow, assuming the plants aren't rotting in there.

If the tank has a decent plant mass, I would wait until the plants get established and then start adding fish. I start most of my tanks this way, and I generally have fish in the tank 2-4 weeks after the tank has been setup. This allows enough time for the plants to get established so they will be able to utilize the ammonia the fish will be producing. If I have a heavily planted tank, I have no problem adding a significant amount of fish to the tank at this time. I'm sure there are numerous ways, but this has always worked for me.

Dave


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## praxis5624

There is a lot of good information here from the members that would suggest patience when cycling a tank. Plants will not speed up the cycle method but other tips could. Cross reference other atricles in the forum on this topic.


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## BryceM

The science behind your question depends on the exact setup of your aquarium. In non-planted aquaria the traditional advice has been to start adding fish gradually. This allows the nitrogen cycle to kick in. Ammonia is enormously toxic to fish and is produced by them on a continuous basis. Bacteria in the aquairum (filter, substrate, on the glass, etc) convert ammonia to nitrite. Other bacteria then convert this to nitrate. The nitrite is a bit toxic but nitrate is tollerated fairly well up to moderate concentrations. In non-planted aquariums nitrate buildup is prevented by doing partial waterchanges.

In planted aquariums things are different. If (and *only* if) there is a large mass of healthy, growing plants, ammonia will be taken up very quickly - so quickly that it will be almost impossible to detect. The nitrogen cycle still happens, but to a lesser degree and it is much , much less critical to the health of the fish.

Now, a couple of things to note. Newly introduced plants often take a few weeks to acclimate and start growing. Until they do, they won't remove as much ammonia. You probalby won't be successful keeping 2 dozen oscars in a 20 gallon aquarium full of plants fresh from the mailbox.

ADA's substrates are pretty rich in nitrogen compounds, including ammonia/ammonium. People who use their stuff often suggest waiting a few days and making a waterchange or two before introducing fish.

Short answer - if the tank is reasonably well planted and the plants are doing ok, there is no need to wait for a cycle. I'd be very comfortable putting in 1/2 of your eventual stocklist from the very get-go. Add the others gradually over the next month or two.


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