Beginner Fresh Water Tank. Questions.

[Baxter]

plant life?? Maybe some floating stuff.

I'm a yes on some fast growing floating plants.
1) Plants will be carrying the good bacteria you want. The more sources of good bacteria you can get the better.
2) Fast growing plants will help take nitrogen cycle waste out of your water. They won't take care of your cycle on their own, but, hey, every little bit helps.
3) I've never met a guppy--of any age--that didn't seem happier with plants in the tank.

[DanaDigi]

Awesome. Should I go on the fish stores recommendation on plant life? I'm so skeptical now.

Some better starter plants would be? I'm going to search the forum now. I'm sure there's a wealth of information. :) Thanks!

[cm12setx]

To address baxter's first statement. I do not believe plants carry the beneficial bacteria you want for nitrogen cycle. The bb you want occur naturally and grow with ammonia as food.
Second plants help eat the end result of the cycle. And are good. A goof plant to try might be amazon swords, crypt , or anninubs.

[Fishhook]

unless I missed it, I didn't see mention of a heater or water temp. I know that the cycle sound incomplete, and WCs should help, but I'm curious to know if you had a heater on the tank and the temp of the water. Also if the fish were even acclimated.

Correct me if I'm mistaken but will less than .25 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 10ppm of Nitrates kill off the fish that fast?

[Slaphppy7]

This momma feels bad. No more dumb mistakes - like listening to the fish store. They told me filter running for a month would be fine. UGH.

Do not feel bad, lots of us have been there before. It's how I personally got started in the hobby.
Read the first few pages of the 10 gallon thread in my sig below.

I'm a yes on some fast growing floating plants.
1) Plants will be carrying the good bacteria you want. The more sources of good bacteria you can get the better.
2) Fast growing plants will help take nitrogen cycle waste out of your water. They won't take care of your cycle on their own, but, hey, every little bit helps.
3) I've never met a guppy--of any age--that didn't seem happier with plants in the tank.

Live plants are a benefit to any tank, but they contribute little or nothing to a successful cycle, with fish or without.

Awesome. Should I go on the fish stores recommendation on plant life? I'm so skeptical now.

Some better starter plants would be? I'm going to search the forum now. I'm sure there's a wealth of information. :) Thanks!

See above.

To address baxter's first statement. I do not believe plants carry the beneficial bacteria you want for nitrogen cycle. The bb you want occur naturally and grow with ammonia as food.
Second plants help eat the end result of the cycle. And are good. A goof plant to try might be amazon swords, crypt , or anninubs.

Correct. The beneficial bacteria (BB) do occur naturally, without the aid of plants, when there exists sufficient nutrition for them

Luck for us fishkeepers, ammonia (naturally occuring or artificial) is a favorite food of the BB we need to complete the nitrogen cycle necessary to maintain a healthy environment for our fish

[cm12setx]

I'm a yes on some fast growing floating plants.
1) Plants will be carrying the good bacteria you want. The more sources of good bacteria you can get the better.my first post was in error. plants have a small amount of BB, but imo not enough to help cycle along much.
2) Fast growing plants will help take nitrogen cycle waste out of your water. They won't take care of your cycle on their own, but, hey, every little bit helps.yes these plants will help remove Nitrates the last part of the cycle.
3) I've never met a guppy--of any age--that didn't seem happier with plants in the tank.
I dont know about this i do not have guppys.lol

Baxter, Im sorry if i came off bad on this post.

unless I missed it, I didn't see mention of a heater or water temp. I know that the cycle sound incomplete, and WCs should help, but I'm curious to know if you had a heater on the tank and the temp of the water. Also if the fish were even acclimated. Dang 30 posts and we missed this question. So what is the temp of the tank?

Correct me if I'm mistaken but will less than .25 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 10ppm of Nitrates kill off the fish that fast?

http://www.oscarfish.com/water/79-is...-toxicity.html : I cant find report on ammonia yet.