Tank Cycle With Table Shrimp?

[HN1]

A bit of fish food should work. I think you witnessed exactly what I would worry about.

[marshrunner]

Thanks for all the info. I will keep you posted on the progress. I do have one other question. How high should I try to push my ammonia? I've had the shrimp in for 3 days now and my reading is only about 0.5. I thought it would go higher than that.

[HN1]

It will go higher than that most likely. Most that dose pure ammonia in FW and monitor the levels closely go to 4-6 ppm. But I wouldn't try it in SW. Be patient and let it go naturally and you will be better longterm IMO.

[thincat]

Good information. When I cycle my tank with shrimp I leave the shrimp until all readings except NO3 goes to 0 then I wait a few days to be sure then I add my CUC and a fish. At that time if there is any shrimp left I just push it into the sand. I run a DSB....If you don't use sand, remove remaining shrimp then. That way you will have an ammonia source till then. The ammonia does not disappear it is just being consumed as fast as it is being made. That is when you have enough bacteria for each source of the cycle. Ammonia, nitrite,nitrate. My DSB takes the nitrate and reduces it to Nitrogen which bubbles off into the air.

[Kurt_Nelson]

From what I've read, and what I've experienced with my own tanks, the bacteria will be fine for a week without an ammonia source. Daily feeding is not needed, in my opinion. Maybe once a week, put a pinch of fish food in there. Even though our test kits show no ammonia, it doesn't mean it's not present.

0.5ppm for ammonia isn't bad and if that's all the ammonia you're showing, I'd probably leave the shrimp in too. I stalled a cycle one time in my QT with too much ammonia - levels were up around 6ppm. Nothing budged until I did a water change to bring the ammonia levels down.

[marshrunner]

Thanks for all the help. This is the kind of information I was looking for. Hopefully, it will help others who are attempting this also.

[marshrunner]

Just tested. Ammonia 0.5, Nitrite 0.2 and Nitrate 5.0