When to introduce plants?

[Jessica L]

I just bought a used 58 gallon tank (19.5"H x 17.25"W x 35"L). I haven't started cycling yet. I was planning to do a fishless cycle since so many people here seem to recommend it. My question though is when can I introduce live plants? Can I put them in before I start cycling or after? I'm not sure if it matters but I tested my tap water and the pH is 7.6, ammonia 0.5ppm, nitrite and nitrate are both 0ppm.

Also, the tank came with about 40lbs of gravel. The e-book recommends fluorite and laterite as substrates. Should I scrap the gravel and buy fluorite &/or laterite, buy some fluorite &/or laterite and mix them together with the gravel, or will the gravel be good enough on it's own?

The tank also came with two Fluval 305's should I run both of them? And it came with a Whisper 30-60 airpump and an Elite 800 air pump, will all this be enough to sustain a tank with live plants (and fish)?

Thanks,

Jess

[Cliff]

I would recommend using both filters and adding the flourite substrate. I'm using the black flourite and I really like it. I believe Big Als in Edmonton stocks it.

You can add plants when you like, but I would recommend adding them after you have cycled your tank so you can complete a fishless cycle with the tank lights off and help prevent algae.

There is a link below in my sig to the fishless cycle thread here is you would like more info on that. Good call doing a fishless cycle. It is a little easier to do.

[Jessica L]

Thanks for the advice Cliff. Can I mix the flourite with the gravel or just use flourite?

[Gogi]

You can mix it if you like

[Jessica L]

Thanks Gogi.

Now another question... after cycling can I add the plants and fish on the same day?

[Cliff]

Your plants will not add to the bioload, but they can help to keep the water quality good. You can as many plants in one shot as you would like and at the same time as you add fish.

I would suggest adding your fish a little slower over a period of a few weeks, depending on what you want to stock

Have you decided what fish you want yet ?

Edit: I nija'd 850R again

[Goes to 11!]

Yep. thumbs2:
:22:

EDIT: Ninja'd by Cliff! D'OH!

If she cycles W/O fish [At say.. 4ppm] she should be able to nearly fully stock her tank right away [Stock dependent as you mentioned] when cycled IMO. No sense in growing that BB colony if you are not going to put it to use :-P.

[Cliff]

+1 to that 850

It is just my personal preference to stock new tanks slowly that is coming through.

[Goes to 11!]

Yeah - I am not a fan of rushing either actually, Just saying she should use that BB she waited for :-D.

Now, If you'll excuse me I need to go mourn the shattering of my 'until very very recently unbroken streak of ninja'ing Cliff' :-P

[Jessica L]

Thanks Cliff and 850R! I really appreciate the advice.

I haven't really decided what kind of fish to get (despite spending hours researching different fish). I emailed the fish store that I trust (very good reputation) and they said they have a wide selection of tetra's, corydoras catfish, rainbowfish (including small ones like threadfin's and dwarf neon's and the large ones are red, turqouise and bosemani). They're expecting more stock next week. I'll probably post in the fish compatability forum with questions when my tank is getting close to being finished cycling.