Hi all.

I have a 70l tank currently cycling. I have 2 fairly large golden pothos cutting (1m long each) and another vine plant that is said to grow fine in water too.

I use fish food to cycle the tank. A week ago, ammonia reading was 5ppm, nitrite was start showing at 0,50ppn in the following day (I used some matured filter media). After I adding the plants, it takes 2 days for all readings (NH3,NO2,NO3) turn to 0. The fish food in the filter is still decaying and smell really bad but ammonia is still 0 for today (I added soem more yesterday)

Is it possible the the Pothos used up everything? SHould I take it out and start the cycle process over again?

If you plan on taking them out any time then I'd cycle properly.

The problem is they'll take up all the ammonia and nitrates so the bacteria will not grow sufficiently in the filter and if you were ever to take the plants out then the tank could spike.

Is Golden Pathos even suitable for long term submergence?

This plant is a variety of philodendron from what I can see. If that's the case, it won't last with its roots in water. These prefer to be in soil and they need the soil to dry completely between waterings. If the roots are constantly wet they will start to rot. The whole plant is also poisonous if eaten so it's not suitable for an aquarium.

I think I will take the plant out and cycle the tank first. The plant does not even have a proper root system yet. I just cut it from another big plants about a week ago in the pond.

Im looking for some submerge plant to make the tank looks more attractive

Hello everyone,
I am taking the liberty of bringing up this thread as I am new to aquaristics and am experiencing a similar problem with my Golden Pothos and the cycling of my aquarium. Although this topic was discussed a while ago, the questions you raised are still relevant to me.

I have Golden Pothos in my aquarium, and I've noticed that they consume a lot of ammonia, which seems to disrupt cycling. So I was wondering if you have any up-to-date recommendations on integrating these plants into an aquarium, including :

1/ Can the Golden Pothos really be used long-term in the water without causing imbalance?
2/ Should they be removed during cycling, or is it better to leave them in and add other aquatic plants?
3/ Have you had any feedback on the long-term health of plants in an aquarium, or does it end up being a problem?

Thanks for your insights, and sorry for reviving this old topic, but I'd really appreciate your advice on managing these plants during cycling.

Hello everyone,

I'm taking the liberty of returning to this topic because, after some research and testing in my aquarium, I've found answers to some of my previous questions about using Golden Pothos in an aquarium. Here are my conclusions:

1/ Can Golden Pothos be used long-term in an aquarium?
Yes, it can be used over the long term, but a few precautions must be taken. Leaves and stems must not be immersed, otherwise they will rot. In fact, after consulting an article on plant photo processing, we learn that only the roots can remain in the water. Furthermore, monitoring root growth and the general condition of the plant is essential to avoid imbalances in the aquarium.

2/ Should Golden Pothos be removed during the aquarium cycle?
After careful consideration and advice, it's best to temporarily remove Golden Pothos during the aquarium cycle. This allows the nitrifying bacteria to settle properly in the biological filter. Once the cycle is complete, the plants can be reintroduced to benefit from their natural filtration properties.

3/ What about the long-term health of aquarium plants?
Golden Pothos seem to tolerate a semi-hydroponic environment well (roots in water, leaves out of water). However, their role in the consumption of ammonia and nitrates

I hope this will be useful to others who have the same questions. Thanks again to all of you for your previous advice, which has helped me to better understand how to manage these plants in my aquarium.