# Do you add plants before or after tanks cycled?



## grumpybear

I am cycling a 33 gallon I plan on using as a planted tank. I have fluorite 2 inches deep than about 3 inches of sand. Should I add plants now or wait until the tank is fully cycled. 

Also what kind of lighting would grow plants in my 33 gallon but still be fine for my bichirs and catfish who dont like bright light?


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## hoppycalif

The best plan is to heavily plant the tank from the start, so no cycling is necessary - any ammonia that shows up gets gobbled up by the plants immediately. If you add a small number of fish at the same time you establish the colony of bacteria you want right away. So, it isn't a good idea to fill a tank, add nothing living to it, and wait for it to "cycle" before adding any living thing.

If you want to grow plants you need to provide them with light. Depending on what plants you chose you can use as little as 1.5 watts per gallon, roughly, or as much as 2.5 watts per gallon, roughly, and you will have the light the plants need to grow. If you add even more light you have to be sure to keep all of the fertilizer elements in adequate amounts in the water at all times, or the plant growth will stall when the plants run out of one of the fertilizer elements. That invites algae to start growing. Algae rarely turn down such invitations. The fish don't have a problem with the lights as long as the tank has plants where they can seek shade if they want it.


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## joephys

Both ways are perfectly fine, but I would also just add them at the start. All they will do is help the cycle out. They will also bring the nitrifying bacteria in with them.


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## Shad0w

I usually add lots of plants from the start, it will help the cycle.


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## southernflounder

Another free way to quickly cycle your new tank is to get the dirty filter matts from an already cycled tank and put it into your new filter. 

If you don't have another tank but have a buddy w/ a cycled tank then have him clean his filter in a container w/ aquarium water (no chlorinated tap water) and put that "dirty" water into your tank. The good bacteria from his tank will quickly establish in your tank. 

This has worked for me many times.


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## rahamen

I also prefer to add the plants from start.


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## grumpybear

Thanks for your replies  I am going to add plants from the start and take the dirty filter matts from one of my previous tanks and put it in my new tank. Hopefully that will help hurry along the cycle.


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## trenac

grumpybear said:


> Thanks for your replies  I am going to add plants from the start and take the dirty filter matts from one of my previous tanks and put it in my new tank. Hopefully that will help hurry along the cycle.


That will do it


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