cycling with raw shrimp
- Thread starter wannabefishguru
- Start date
huh i thought that i would want to have the ammonia at zero, nitrite at zero and the nitrate off the charts in order to have the cycle complete
He means what if the ammonia goes to 0 before the nitrites get established. You'll have 0 nitrates as well. They will starve to death.wannabefishguru said:
Nitrite eating bacteria are much more fragile than those that process ammonia and high ammonia levels will prevent them from colonizing.
You can do a search here for threads on high ammonia cycles. Most that went over 3ppm had extreme difficulties finishing the cycle. It stalled.
Roan
No, you need to continue feeding your filter some kind of ammonia (whether as shrimp, fish food, or pure ammonia) to get an ammonia reading of about 5 ppm or less (Roan suggests 3 ppm, Chris Cow recommends less than 5 ppm). As you keep adding ammonia over the days, you'll begin to see nitrites as well as ammonia (keep adding ammonia source, but less) then ammonia will zero out (keep adding), then nitrites will zero out too (presto, you're cycled). Time for water change.
In other words, there needs to be a constant supply of ammonia going into the tank in order to complete the tank's cycle. Once you see nitrite levels begin to develop in your tank, you should reduce the amount of ammonia being added (say, to about half the original amount).
In other words, there needs to be a constant supply of ammonia going into the tank in order to complete the tank's cycle. Once you see nitrite levels begin to develop in your tank, you should reduce the amount of ammonia being added (say, to about half the original amount).
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Chris suggested 5 ppm to start, then cutting that approximately in half once nitrite appeared. No tank needs to clear more tha 2-3 ppm ammonia and the rsulting nitrite in 24 hours.
But, big but, if your tank cannot clear 2-3 ppm ammonia and the resultng nitrite - both - in 24 hours to undetectable levels, it is not cycled for a full bioload. That is the test of a fully clyced tank. Just zero ammonia and nitite does not tell you anything. A defined clearance time/rate is absolutely required IMHO & IME.
But, big but, if your tank cannot clear 2-3 ppm ammonia and the resultng nitrite - both - in 24 hours to undetectable levels, it is not cycled for a full bioload. That is the test of a fully clyced tank. Just zero ammonia and nitite does not tell you anything. A defined clearance time/rate is absolutely required IMHO & IME.
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Yes, I've over-simplified the process for the sake of brevity here--my main point to wannabefishguru is to KEEP ADDING AN AMMONIA SOURCE or the good bacteria needed to cycle the tank will simply starve & die out.
If you pull out the shrimp, you must replace it with some other source of ammonia!
If you pull out the shrimp, you must replace it with some other source of ammonia!
just thought i would drop an update, cycle is on its way. ammonia peaked and is now going down, nitrite is showing put i don't know where though my freshwater master test kit from aquarium pharmicuticles nitrite test is showing a dark tan or light brown color which is not a color on the chart, so a question for my fellow aquanots is where is my nitrite reading at?
i have testes twice and the solution is not expired so beats me, is it off the charts or what.
ammonia .25-1.0
nitrite dark tan to light brown
nitrate minimal reading
i have testes twice and the solution is not expired so beats me, is it off the charts or what.
ammonia .25-1.0
nitrite dark tan to light brown
nitrate minimal reading
You sure you're not using a nitrate kit by mistake? Seriously, if that's the color of the test result then I would contact AP and ask them if that's a bad batch of test solution. No way should the nitrite result be that color in an AP test kit.
Roan
Roan
