WHEN Should You Add Plants To A New Fish Tank? + Cycling Your Planted Aquarium: Tips & Tricks.

That angel fish is like “what are you doing?you gonna feed me or what?” 😂

If it was me, id add plants right at the very beginning of your new tank. They help cushion ammonium spikes, give nervous and small fish a place to hide, provide a surface area for microorganisms to flourish and help to seed your tank with beneficial creepy crawlies and help establish a cycle. Got to have plants :)

First thing I put in mine were plants....then Nerite Snails....added fish this past Saturday....What cannot be denied are the plants growing like weeds since adding that bioload. The plants (my aquarium is pretty heavily planted) Ammonia basically fails to register....that attributed to massive growth since Saturday tells me there are no better filters than plants. So I'd say start with your plants!

Another great video! Started fish keeping during covid and learned i enjoy plants just as much, if not more than the fish!

Boosting for the algorithm 🙌 Love your work, keep it up! 🌻🐝

It's so amazing that the more i learn, the more i realize i need to learn. At the same time, it does make starting feel a little daunting sometimes and making me wonder if I'm doing it correctly. 😅

My entry into the hobby would have been so much better if I'd known about your channel. This was a big question for me at first, and asking people at stores selling plants yielded more answers than stores I visited. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insights!

I love your videos, Alex. It’s like having a library full of the best books on my favorite hobby! Thank you so much for doing what you do so well! 🐟

Once again Alex you have delivered a video full of valuable information, you are one of my favorite Fishtubers ❤

I gotta say, your tanks are your proof. Great vids, you deserve more subs!

One of the upsides to adding plants right away is you're providing a semi-consistent source of bio load to establish good bacteria. Without that, or snails, or some dried leaves, soil, or something, you're playing with almost no bacteria and almost no food for bacteria while asking for bacteria to come. Then you're adding 2-3 fish at a time after a month... Get some plants, maybe they'll have some snails. As for fertilizers, backyard dirt, potted soil, crushed corral, some bagged substrates, root tabs, and dry fertilizers are all better options in my opinion than liquid fertilizers. Liquid fertilizers are the most expensive way to fertilize your tank. They're even more expensive if you're doing lots of water changes. Start with plants, and add amendments to your substrate if necessary. Use some dried leaves and snails. The tank will be roaring with life before you ever add the fish.

I put aquatic pond soil in nylon bags on the bottom of the tank. Then cap with a sand. I add the plants right away. If there is any melt remove the dying plant material. Once my plants start rebounding I add fish slowly.

Love all plants been big into plants for along time now have around 20 plants and just this year started 3 aquariums a 40 gal 5.5gal and 29 gal all with plants glad i went that route so much fun to just sit and watch a little peace of nature in my home

Great video! I like how you explain everything so I can understand it. I started using live plants a couple of years ago and I would never do it any other way now. These are definitely plants I will never forget to water! LOL! I just started a shrimp tank and will be looking for those dreaded planaria and the other one you mentioned.

Thanks for sharing Alex 😊

Thanks for the video Alex...

I'm addicted to plants as well, but plants don't like me 😢

Learn so much from your channel man thanks for all your efforts it definitely makes a difference

Very descriptive.. awesome video! Detail is on point

Thanxxx alex i needed to hear this