125g tank not cycling

[tmkx3]

Hi!!! I have a 125g tank that has 125lbs of sand and 70lbs of lr. The rock has been in the tank for 5 days and I still don't have any readings. I took a sample to the lfs they got the same readings. Some of the rock put in the tank came from an established tank, the rest had been delivered that day. Am I not getting any die off to cycle with? I don't want to use fish. I have a prizm skimmer running and a hob filter and 2 powerheads. This has me very confused. I also started feeding the tank 3days ago. How come I am not cycling? Thanx for your help

 

[seaham358]

Toss in 1-2 cocktail shrimp from the supermarket and they will start the cycle. Its possible that the cured LR you have has enough bacteria on it to take care of the ammonia from the die off on the new LR. It is also possible you have little to no die off on the new LR. No need to feed the tank right now.... Toss in the shrimp and after a few days to a week you should see some ammonia..... UNLESS the LR you have has enough bacteria on it to handle the ammonia.
One thing to remember is if the LR is cured then you will not have a cycle because there is no die off. Where did you get the new LR from.
How much new vs. how much old..
Only bad things happen fast in this hobby so there is no rush on the cycle.....

 

[tmkx3]

My husband got it from the lfs. I wasn't there so I don't know how much was taken from the established tank. He said that some was taken out of their displays that had fish in them. This lfs doesn't mind selling out of his display if he can't fill your order. It's a small mom & pop store, They have been in business over 20 yrs. I really like them. They were the ones that told me to go with the berlin method opposed to a wet/dry. I greatly appreciate that

I have heard different opinions about running the skimmer. What do you think? Do I have to have a large ammonia spike to cycle?

 

[DragonForce]

My tank did not even have a cycle. You said you got rock from an established tank, that is probably why it didn't cycle. If the sand you bought was live sand, then that further reinforces the probability that you won't have a cycle.

 

[tmkx3]

So If I am not going to have cycle, then is the tank ready for a few fish? Should I add a cocktail shrimp first? This mt be a dumb quetion becausr the shrimp is for human consumption but can it care disease? I know that leaving a dead fish in the tank can cause real problems.

 

[seaham358]

The key to your question is was the LR cured first... Some was and some ???
You want the dead shrimp in there to cause the ammonia to start the cycle. Store bought shrimp is fine.. Do you need to have a cycle?? If all the LR you bought was cured then you may never have a cycle because there are enough bacteria on the LR to take care of the ammonia. Test your tank for nitrite and nitrate and post the numbers.

Are you ready for a few fish, No. 1 fish maybe... Start out slow do not rush the tank, it needs to mature after each fish added by growing more bacteria to handle the fish load. Adding too many at once can cause problems. Read up on proper acclimation of SW fish .
If you can find out were all the LR came from that would help.

 

[austinsdad]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15

An article from this site about cycling w/out fish.

 

[tmkx3]

okay guys I went and bought 3 shrimp. They didn't have any heads. My 5 year old freaked out. She thinks I am crazy. My husband will be out of town until friday. How long do I have to keep those smelly things in there? I don't think my husband will understand. He has helped me alot with all of this but he has his limits. He wants me to just put some cheap fish in there. Some one told him you could cycle with 99 cent mollies. I have been able to keep him at bay so far.

 

[austinsdad]

What if she uses a sheet of carbon in a water flow area? Won't that keep the smell down? In spite of the article (fishless cycling) she'll probably also need some advice on water changes - which may extend the cycle time?

tmkx3, you may be in for a couple or 3 weeks of this (hopefully with the smell controlled). Got your test kit? Need to watch the ammonia go way up and come down as the nitrite does the same. When both are at zero you'll be ready to add fish (slowly) and cleanup crew.

Also, I wouldn't worry about the shrimp carrying disease at all. I'd also think you can remove the smelly things after the ammonia has spiked. Some use a piece of cheesecloth to wrap the shrimp in order to avoid the decay from breaking into little pieces.

Have you thought about a QT tank? Lemme tell you, it's no fun to have your tank almost fully stocked, and buy the last fish, only to introduce something harmful to the others - with a lot of rock/hiding place, so that you can't catch the sick one. :x

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[tmkx3]

Does running carbon help? I put the shrimp in mesh bag. I have had freshwater tanks before so I know about the process that take place during the cycle. When I cycled my fresh tank, I used fish that is how I know I don't want to do that again. I only lost a couple of fish but I went thru weeks of trying to save them. They made it thru the cycle but about a week after my nitrates went down they got ill. I assume from the damage the cycle put them thru. It made them very weak I guess. It broke my heart I have a 10g that I was gonna use for a qt. I read that if you run a small filter on your tank it will be have a bio-filter and you can put that on your qt when needed

 

[austinsdad]

Good move sticking w/the shrimp. Carbon sure helped mine keep the smell down.

 

[seaham358]

You can run it if you want... WC during the cycle are not a great idea because they say it could make the cylce last longer.?? Unless necessary i would pass on them Let it rip and keep checking amm, nitrites. Good luck..