Plants To Speed Up Cycle

[guppydreams]

I'd like to add a live plant or 2 to my 20 gallon freshwater aquarium as I've heard it can help speed up the cycling process. I have to admit I'm a complete plant newbie and just want to make sure I add the proper plants to my tank. Something preferably completely low maintenance as I have just
a regular gravel substrate and my lighting is nothing special.

Also I've been adding pure ammonia for my fishless cycle if that makes any difference. What plants could I add? Should I get a liquid fertilizer? Will this mess with my water readings?

 

[WinterSoldier.]

Water lettuce and java moss are the best ones I can think of

 

[david1978]

Plants will neither help or hurt the cycling process since a cycle is bacterial based and not plant based. Even the little bit of bio film is stripped off when you dip the plants to get of pests.

 

[Repolie]

You can turn up the heat in the tank because bacteria reproduce faster in warmer temperatures. This will help speed it up.

 

[aniroc]

Plants will not speed up or delay the cycle. Fast growing stem plants will compete with bacteria for the ammonia produced by fish (in a fish in cycle). That is safer for fish. Planted or not, all tanks cycle in about 6-8 weeks. If planted, bacteria population is smaller. However, it is important that both ammonia and nitrite oxidizing bacterial groups are present, capable of doubling in size within hours.

You can not cycle a tank if you add plants and can not un-cycle if you remove them.