# Fluval Spec V (with new light), substrate, plant and cycling questions



## BigMek (Dec 6, 2016)

1) If you're doing a No-Fish cycle the particular value of your Nitrite could peak anywhere really, especially since you're still adding food. Seems like it's going right to me. Nitrates could take anywhere from days to weeks to show up, depending on how much of it the plants are consuming and how much bacteria they brought with them.

2) Plants grown out of water (emmersed) will always melt back when put underwater (immersed) because the leaf structure needs to be completely different. For now the plants are consuming their old leaves to grow new ones, so just let them do their thing. Algae is also common with new tanks and should settle down as the plants grow in and start consuming nutrients.

3) Excel really isn't a good replacement for CO2, it's more of an algaecide. Your fish and bacteria will produce CO2, and you can also add it by whatever means you're oxygenating the water. For fertilizer I like Easy Green by Aquarium Co-op, assuming you're in the States. You will probably need fertilizer of some sort to keep your plants happy.

4) Won't be a problem. I run my substrate deeper than that and my plants have roots spreading across the glass.

Also: I wouldn't do two Pea Puffers. With two of anything one usually ends up dominating the other.


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