Fishless Cycling with TMC NutraSoil

[Ken Loach]

So, the amount of advice, conflicting and otherwise, is overwhelming. I am shortly to embark on setting up my 34L Fluval Flex using TMC brown Nutrasoil. The general wisdom is that this produces an ammonia spike for a couple of weeks. I intend to leave out the charcoal and go for an extra bag of Biomax ceramic media. My main query is; can I put the plants in right from the word go? This would obviously be preferable to get the project going but will Anubias, Java Fern and maybe Pogostemon suffer if ammonia readings get above a certain level. Also can Bio enhancers be added from the start?

 

[Konsa]

Hi
Yes U can plant straight from the start.
It is a good idea to do large daily waterchanges to counteract the amonia biuldup.Floating plants help a lot to balance the tank.You will want high oxygen levels in the tank.Good surface agitation and an airstone will helpIf U planninng CO2 do that at lights off).If if is a new filtet and U have other tanks U can transfer some media to the new filter to kick start it.If not ask in your local fish shop for it or a bit of gravel from their tanks.Put them in a small filterbag or even some tights(so U can remove them later) and put them in filter.They will try to sell U some bacteria in a bottle but I wont go for them.
Regards Konsa

 

[Ken Loach]

Thanks for the help. I've had a long wait of 4 months of decorating and re-furnishing, before I could site the tank, so if I'd had a bit more forethought I could have cycled some ceramic media in my mate's Fluval Edge. Never mind, I'll plant the tank, fill it, check the ammonia levels and maybe use some bottled bacteria if I can't get some used gravel. Come to think of it I can tap my mate up for some, thanks for the idea.

 

[Zeus.]

Daughter has a Fluval edge 40l and we did it the TGM way. Hard scaped it Rocks and ADA AS, filled with water, turned filter on no charcoal, left it running six weeks with no light drained down to substrate level planted and two days later all levels safe and fish in, lights on.

 

[Ken Loach]

Daughter has a Fluval edge 40l and we did it the TGM way. Hard scaped it Rocks and ADA AS, filled with water, turned filter on no charcoal, left it running six weeks with no light drained down to substrate level planted and two days later all levels safe and fish in, lights on.

Sounds logical. Might need it to be a bit more ornamental for 6 weeks as it will have pride of place in the new lounge. I think an adaptation of much of the advice both professional and on the forums is the way to go. Bit like when I taught myself fly-tying and casting, one step forward, two steps backwards!

 

[Ken Loach]

A mate has put some of his existing Biomax ceramics from his tank, along with some new ones, in a bag in his Fluval filter. I'll give them about a fortnight before putting them in my filter, along with my own new stuff and hopefully this will help to cycle the tank effectively.