Nitrogen is one of the primary elements plants need to grow, and they can use ammonia and nitrates to get it (but not nitrites).
The good news: plants can help with your cycling. Nitrogen is one of the primary elements plants need to grow, and they can use ammonia and nitrates to get it (but not nitrites). This is yet another reason live aquarium plants are so awesome: they provide another form of filtration and shorten cycling time.