Just want to be certain ...

[mermaidwannabe]

This weekend, I'll finally be setting up my new 65-gallon coldwater system. Since I have begun increasing the numbers and varieties of living plants in my 20-gallon aquarium, combined with artificial ones, this question has come to my mind:

Would it harm any living plants if I were to put them into my 65-gallon while it cycles? I know that plants need nitrates for nutrition, but would they also benefit from the elevated levels of ammonia and nitrite at the peak of the cycle, or would that just burn them? Should I just wait until that new tank is finished cycling before putting any live plants into it? Could ingestion of ammonia and nitrite by the plants slow down the cycling process and prolong the cycling period?

Just want to be certain. The plants I intend to put in there are Anubias, java ferns, marimo mossballs and the typical floaters I use -- anacharis, hornwort, javamoss, riccia and water sprite. As with the smaller tank, I still plan to mix these with fake plants.

I'm also putting two AC110s on that tank for filtration.

Thanks for any insights ....

-- Mermaidwannabe

[rich311k]

It might slightly slow it down, but plants are covered in bacteria so they would help seed as well. They will have no issues with the cycle itself. I personally would add them now.

[dizzydezzy]

From what I understand, plants don't defferentiate between nitrogen components that much and will happily suck up nitrates, nitrites or ammonia as fertiliser, and unless you dump a whole bottle of ammonia into the tank, most plants will not be harmed by it.
While in theory it might slow down your cycle, in reality it might actually speed it up as you will be introducing the beneficial bacteria on the plants that you transfer, so it will probably not be a problem.