I am doing a fishless cycle of my ten gallon aquarium(by adding clear ammonia). I've set everything up and I really don't like how fake plants look so i've added about 5 live plants. The tank just reached the nitrite spike. I know that plants use ammonia. I also know that if the bacteria forming in the filter can die if they don't get any ammonia. Is it possible for the bacteria to die from the plants taking all the ammonia or am I just worrying for nothing.
2007-01-08 12:10:57 · 6 answers · asked by rhi(09)ler 3 in Pets ➔ Fish
Uhh most of these folks are fairly clueless. The nitrogen cycle is like this.
food = ammonia
ammonia + bacteria = nitrites
nitrites + bacteria = nitrates
Both types of bacteria need ammonia, or nitrites to live, and reproduce. Thus you throw in food until you get enough bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrites as fast as it it produced. Then wait until the 2nd set of bacteria starts converting nitrites as fast as it's produced. Fish, and plants it doesn't really matter other than the ammonia/nitrites spikes may kill them
PS- Plant use nitrates which doesn't matter in terms of cycling. Ammonia is poisonous to most plants. If they survive will depend on a lot of factors. Also keep in mind that you need about 10-30 times the mass of plants to keep up with the nitrates from fish.
2007-01-08 18:07:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know what these people are thinking, you do need ammonia to cycle a tank. Anyone who thinks you do not need ammonia needs to to some research. Seems like you have done research, so good for you!
I don't think the plants will use enough ammonia to affect your cycle, they use very little ammonia, it's the nitrates they use the most, and that will not affect your cycle at all.
2007-01-08 13:31:28 · answer #2 · answered by fish guy 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The plants will be impact on the ammonia you've added, thats for sure but I doubt it'll be significant since there is only 5 of them.
By the way, I assume you dose your ammonia at (predefine) intervals so there should be ammonia for both plants and bacterial constantly.
So yah :) Don't worry about it.
2007-01-08 15:27:48 · answer #3 · answered by dragonfly_sg 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, you probably should have waited to introduce your plants. Rule of thumb is one to two weeks for the tank to completely cycle. I wouldn't be too concerned right now about the nitrite. Wait a day or two and it SHOULD balance itself out. If it doesn't, go to your local pet store and inquire about which chemical to add in order to balance out the nitrite. This is all part of the cycle. The good news is that if your plants die, they are cheaper (and easier) to replace then fish!
Also, a ten gallon is one of the hardest tanks to run because it has such a small space and the chemicals are able to fluctuate within hours.
Good luck with everything!
2007-01-08 12:24:19 · answer #4 · answered by bpbjess 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
you DO NOT need to use ammonia to cycle a tank! you just need to let it set while turning the light on and off with the cycle of the natural day, ammonia kills fish.i have 7 tanks up, and have never cycled 1 yet, before introducing fish, the fish cycle it faster,..just use a goldfish to cycle it.
2007-01-08 12:35:34 · answer #5 · answered by rhino_man420 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
fish like danios or feeder fish can be used to cycle the tank. if they die nobody cares. if they live feed them to buggger fish, but if want to do it without fish you can try to use fish food to simulate the waste produce normal, but in reality you gotta add fish.
2007-01-08 17:14:31 · answer #6 · answered by dustmaster69 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋