Got a new tank!!!

Have just ordered this -

http://www.seapets.co.uk/product-details/stkcode/970830/category/965.html

Holds about 180litres I think so it's a decent size. I know I will have to cycle it but am quite interested in doing the cycling with plants thingy - I read some of the posts on here about it and it aounds like a really good idea.

I was thinking of getting loads of plants in and then adding some ammonia for a few days to see if I get a reading or not. If I dont then I could start to add the fish a few at a time and keep an eye on the water. If the theory is right, the plants should deal with all the muck the fish produce, and I could help the filter along by adding some of the muck from my current filter.

Does this sound like a good idea or am I just making trouble for myself?

Personaly I would cycle my tank without plants as they can take up some of the ammoina when you cycle your tank. Also, its best to leave lights off during the whole cycle so you dont get algea growth as basicaly all plant life takes up ammoina
Hope this helps.

I've never heard of using plants to cycle a tank, brb. If anything they slow down the process as they absorb a certain proportion of the ammonia/nitrite thus delaying the filter bacteria population buildup. The fishless cycle with a bottle of ammonia is really the best (and most painless) method to go.

Certainly, adding filter squeezings from your current tank will help out. How I cycled my second and subsequent tanks was to put the new filter media into my old tank filter for a couple of weeks in order to build up a population of bacteria. Then when I moved the primed filter sponges into the new tank, I just added 1-2 fish a week to allow the filter bacteria adjust to the new bioload. It's a time consuming method but the safest for the fish - after fishless cycling that is!

I agree with mary, if you use plants they'll just absorb all of the ammoina leaving the bacteria with no food :O

I thought I had read a post on here about it - I'll go and have a search and see what I can find - perhaps I'm wrong (wouldn't be the first time :lol:

This might be the thread you are looking for brb.

https://tropicalfishfanatics.forumotion.com/tropical-beginners-forum-f20/am-i-cycled-t1173.htm#9188

i killed my plants that i put in there when i did the fishless cycle with ammonia, thats not recommended lol