HELP - Concurrent Planting with Tank Inhabitants - Is it safe?

Sorry for a newbie question (this is my first major attempt at planting my tanks).

Is it safe to add plants while the fishes are inside the aquarium?

I intend to use plants as a measure to remove excess nutrients from the water.

The plan:

- i have found one plant (vine with big leaves) that is can have its roots submerged, while the rest is above water. I intend to fix it in the top portion of the aquarium with the gravel placed on mesh as a bedding. Then let the water flow over the root system.
- i have found a water hyaicinte type plant. So, i intend to just let it float on the surface (and some i will set up on the surface with gravel held by mesh with water flowing over the root system)
- I do not intend to use any plants that require fertilization or that are totally submerged

Can addition of plants alter the amonia/nitrite/nitrate cycle for the worst during the initial stages?

oOMO3NOo;2157073; said:

no it will be safe unless the plants are contaminated ie from a stream or lake that is poluted. you will be fine as long as your fish dont attack your hands while you try and plant them.

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Lol, that is the risk i shall have to take ... I suppose i better disinfected them - you think 'malachite green' would be sufficient?

This is the pic. I think this is some sort of hyacinte (pardon the spelling if it is wrong)

I am fairly sure this plant needs its leaves to be above water. Anyone can confirm?

WyldFya;2168351; said:

Not an aquatic plant.

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I know that this plant is not supposed to be totally submerged - but it grows in the marshland and paddy fields. So, i intend to put it in a plastic box fixed on top of the aquarium pond - and then have one of the submersible pumps pump water through it.

Note that the box is perforated at the bottom then topped with bio balls which is then covered with the white cloth thing (I decided against gravel). The top of the bioballs and cloth will be just waterlogged for the this plant.

After disinfecting the plants with malachyte green for one day and one night, the plant went inside this box set-up.

I will post the pics once the plants take hold (hopefully). If this work will add a whole bunch of these for extra filtration. I am a bit uneasy about getting more plants from the wild though.

PS: the spider hitched a ride