What to use for cycle?

[Sgc1107]

I've read people using a shrimp but I don't eat shrimp and I'm thinking it won't be easy to acquire one shrimp! I do have some frozen squid & clam cubes, will either of these work? It's only a 10gl QT with bare bottom & sm pc of rock.

 

[obscurereef]

You can buy pure ammonia from a hardware store. Dose a very minute amount to get ammonia to 4 ppm or possibly higher. I read that if you shake it and there are no bubbles then that's the one you want to get. The frozen squid or clam cubes will work. Even fish food flakes will work. Something that is going to decay and create waste is going to start the cycle.

 

[Sgc1107]

You can buy pure ammonia from a hardware store. Dose a very minute amount to get ammonia to 4 ppm or possibly higher. I read that if you shake it and there are no bubbles then that's the one you want to get. The frozen squid or clam cubes will work. Even fish food flakes will work. Something that is going to decay and create waste is going to start the cycle.

Thanks!!

 

[Beengirl]

Any type of food that will rot and produce ammonia should work. A piece of raw fish, raw shrimp, etc. I would think the clams would work too, as long as its raw and rots.

 

[MyR6Rocks]

If I'm seeing this right this is a 10 gallon quarantine tank? If that's so your better off using the cycled water from main tank for it and replacing that with fresh. Also if possible take the filter cartridge from qt tank and put in main filter to build beneficial bacteria.

 

[melosu58]

Nitrifying bacteria that helps the cycle along is not in the water. It resides on surfaces of LR, tank glass and decorations. Adding water only will not help. You`ll need to add something from the main tank with surface area or just start the cycle over in the QT.

 

[Holygral]

If I'm seeing this right this is a 10 gallon quarantine tank? If that's so your better off using the cycled water from main tank for it and replacing that with fresh. Also if possible take the filter cartridge from qt tank and put in main filter to build beneficial bacteria.

Water carries little or no beneficial bacteria, this is widely believe myth. But it does care stuff like MI.

 

[Sgc1107]

I did add a piece if live rock had a small cycle (I thought was good enough) added two damsels and it stared to cycle again and lost both fish. Last night I put in a chunk of frozen squid. I'll check parameters tonight when I do my water change in my DT. I bought my DT when is was set up and running for about 7/8 months so my QT was the first tank from scratch. Learned a lot so far! It's been a good experience for when in ready to do my custom tank & stand (maybe 90gl or 125gl don't know yet) next year sometime.