Do you need to do a fishless cycle with a planted tank or not?

I've seen a lot of mixed opinions on this topic. I've been trying to cycle my 10g for months but I think my plants are using up the ammonia before I can get any nitrates going. Right now I have anubias, water sprite, java fern, and Christmas moss, I plan on getting a few more plants as well as pothos. The plan at the moment is a pair of wild bettas.

 

So long as you've got something eating up your nitrogen compounds, it doesn't really matter whether that's plants or a colony of beneficial bacteria. If you're unable to keep a level of ammonia in your tank, you're good to go!

 

I put plants in my first tank as soon as I got it. After two months, I tested the water and got 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 0 nitrates. I added a betta and continue to get these same numbers.

I think BB started building up from the debris that goes along with plants.

 

I put plants in my first tank as soon as I got it. After two months, I tested the water and got 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 0 nitrates. I added a betta and continue to get these same numbers.

I think BB started building up from the debris that goes along with plants.

That is possible. However, it would also make sense if the plants did eat up the nutrients since bettas have a fairly low bioload.

 

Eh I have never done a fushless cycle on an unplanted tank.

 

I'd get liquid ammonia and add a fair amount of it so you can truly see if the tank's cycled or not. You shouldn't risk it on sensitive and expensive wild bettas (depending on the species for those two factors, of course).

I did a similar thing in one of my tanks in the past by assuming it was cycled when it was not, and sadly lost a betta.

 

The main thing with a fishless cycle, IMO, is that it's much less cruel than a fished cycle. You also "risk" having fish you want die, or fish you don't want live (c'est la vie). It's actually why I have white clouds at all.. I knew they were hardy and I didn't mind if they lived.

But I find that fished cycles are much easier to do than fishless if you don't have an existing cycled tank.

 

The main thing with a fishless cycle, IMO, is that it's much less cruel than a fished cycle. You also "risk" having fish you want die, or fish you don't want live (c'est la vie). It's actually why I have white clouds at all.. I knew they were hardy and I didn't mind if they lived.

But I find that fished cycles are much easier to do than fishless if you don't have an existing cycled tank.

True, however if you do the cycle correctly its not too big of a deal on hardy fish who can handle it much better. Fish in cycle are for people who aren't lazy and impatient lol.

 

I'd get liquid ammonia and add a fair amount of it so you can truly see if the tank's cycled or not. You shouldn't risk it on sensitive and expensive wild bettas (depending on the species for those two factors, of course).

I did a similar thing in one of my tanks in the past by assuming it was cycled when it was not, and sadly lost a betta.

I have liquid ammonia, its what I've been using, but I'm not seeing any nitrates and ammonia disappears pretty fast unless I dose to 4ppm. Unfortunately, I lost some guppies from a lack of knowledge about proper cycling, but that was before I had the water sprite and the stuff grows like crazy so it should fill out nicely. and like I said I'm getting more plants. I also plan on getting the isopods first and seeing how they do. I would do a test run with a fish but there arent many i would want in this tank that are considered good cycle fish.

 

Also, has anyone ever used zeolite in their filters? would that help while the tank is getting settled?

 

I usually plant heavily and wait a month or so before adding livestock. Keeping the filter on, and adding bottled bacteria. By then a combination of plant mass and vigorous growth is able to keep down any ammonia produced by livestock. However if you're only lightly-moderately planting then adding ammonia is a good idea, which you are doing. How long does it take 4 ppm ammonia to disappear? I think cycling away 2 or so ppm within 24 hours is more than enough.

 

If the plants are using up the ammonia you're adding they'll use up the ammonia produced by two bettas.

 

I did a fish in cycle with a lightly planted tank with only a smaller piece of driftwood from an established tank. I also used Prime and Stability throughout the process, my parameters were never out of control, and when the ammonia spiked it only hit 1 and nitrites bumped to 2 - water change and extra prime dosing to cover the zebra danios I had in there. I was doing daily water tests, can’t lie it’s been a month and I’m still doing the water tests but the actual cycle was completed in two weeks. Not the norm, from what I’m told, but I’m currently fully stocked and ammonia and nitrites have remained at zero and nitrates at 10 but they bounce between 5-10 all the time. I think the plants helped a lot as did the Stability. I was doing a fishless cycle with ghost feeding, but have decided to scrap that tank and turn it into a shrimp tank. So I’ll be doing another fishless cycle but it’s a 3.5g so I’m sure it will take a little longer to stabilize.

 

I did a fish in cycle with a lightly planted tank with only a smaller piece of driftwood from an established tank. I also used Prime and Stability throughout the process, my parameters were never out of control, and when the ammonia spiked it only hit 1 and nitrites bumped to 2 - water change and extra prime dosing to cover the zebra danios I had in there. I was doing daily water tests, can’t lie it’s been a month and I’m still doing the water tests but the actual cycle was completed in two weeks. Not the norm, from what I’m told, but I’m currently fully stocked and ammonia and nitrites have remained at zero and nitrates at 10 but they bounce between 5-10 all the time. I think the plants helped a lot as did the Stability. I was doing a fishless cycle with ghost feeding, but have decided to scrap that tank and turn it into a shrimp tank. So I’ll be doing another fishless cycle but it’s a 3.5g so I’m sure it will take a little longer to stabilize.

I read EVERYWHERE that your cycle will complete in like 4-6 weeks. My fish in cyle completed in 1-1.5 weeks, although i did add api quickstart to jumpstart it.