Cycling with Shrimp

[Marconis]

I know this has been posted before, so please, direct me to another thread if so.

After my huge dilemma, which is finally solved, I am ready to begin cycling again, which I will probably start on Sunday or Monday. I am too afraid to ever touch ammonia again, so I am using shrimp. How long does cycling with shrimp take, as compared to pure ammonia. Is it around the same?

 

[Zagz]

It is close to the same, a bit longer with the shrimp as you have to wait for the shrimp to rot in order to have it start producing ammonia.

 

[LandGhoti]

I just finished cycling with raw shrimp, although it was in a previously established tank (lost my fish in a power outage). Because I cycled with the same filter media that I used with the fish, the cycle was a tad abbreviated (shrimp thrown in on 12/11; tank fully cycled by 12/31). But I completely changed the substrate and pulled all the plastic plants out before I started my cycle, so the old filter, which I kept wet, was the only thing I had going for me as far as keeping any good bacteria from my old tank setup.

I detected ammonia from the shrimp within 2 or 3 days, and after that it was a snowball: high ammonia for a while, then high nitrites for a while. The shrimp will look gross and develop a bacteria film around them, but they will get your tank cycled without harm. And if you test your water every couple of days, you will have a total understanding of the whole nitrogen cycle.

I know it sucks to have to wait for the shrimp, as opposed to dosing with ammonia, but with a shrimp it is totally natural and you know exactly what's in there and what is going on (I've been reading your soap contamination thread).

Good luck!

 

[Marconis]

Thank you very much! Btw, it's a shame you had to read about my horrible problem lol


Also, I am in the process of looking for sand/gravel. In your tank pic (very nice by the way) I see you have nice white gravel. What is the brand and where did you get it?

 

[LandGhoti]

Thanks, that's actually an old pic of the tank. :?

Now, it's multicolored gravel with some browns.
It's Estes brand:
http://www.pets-warehouse.com/Vpasp/shopexd.asp?id=103390
and got it from my lfs.

I used to have completely white gravel (like in the pic), also from Estes (and the lfs):
http://www.pets-warehouse.com/Vpasp/shopexd.asp?id=103421

I switched gravel because I found when I tried to take pics of the fish, the lights were too bright and made the gravel even brighter so everything was washed out. But the reason I originally wanted it was because I thought the colors of the fish would really stand out against the white, kind of like white sand on a beach. But a lot of people on here use pool filter sand, which is light but not as blaring as white gravel. Depends on what you want.

 

[SparKy697]

I am too afraid to ever touch ammonia again, so I am using shrimp

Chicken! JK. I think that if I had to go through what you did, I'd go with the shrimp too.

 

[neilanh]

Yeah, just make sure you get raw ones please. No seasoned or precooked ones.

Best of luck! I agree, I'd be doing the same thing and running away from the ammonia too.

 

[coldmachineUK]

I cycled my 36G malawi tank with a couple of market shrimp: worked a treat and took only 11 days in total. Ammonia peaked at about 3ppm. I introduced all eight cichlids at the same time and had no problem.
I put the shrimp inside an old fish bag (from the LFS) with lots of holes in and hung it near the filter outflow. That way it was easy to take out and avoid smelling! Previously I had to retrieve bits of rotted shrimp manually, it was gross!

A friend came up with a good idea: if you're using a canister filter, place the shrimp inside that rather than inside the tank. You could even leave them there (she left six inside her Fluval FX5 on the 6' tank she runs, and no problems).

 

[Marconis]

The plastic bag idea is great because I do not feel like picking out raw shrimp. How many should I buy for a 46G?

 

[rich311k]

You could use a stocking as well. Two large shrimp would do the job.

 

[Marconis]

Alright I bought two jumbo shrimp and they are in a bag with holes in it in my tank right now. How long do they take to rot, and when should I start testing for ammonia?

 

[rich311k]

You should start seeing ammonia in two or three days. You can test tomorrow if you want. I always find it fun to play with my test kits.

 

[Marconis]

Okay thanks ! Im so excited to finally get things going after my rough start.

**Btw, you live on Long Island too I'd ask where but idk if that's against the rules.

 

[rich311k]

Not against the rules. I am in Port Washington.

Good luck with the cycle, just be patient it will be over before you know it.

 

[SparKy697]

It's great to hear you are back on track!
Let us know how you are progressing.

 

[neilanh]

YAY!!!
Keep us posted definately!

 

[Marconis]

When should the shrimp be taken out of the tank? I know that you have to keep the ammonia a little bit above 0 once it starts to drop, so how will I do that if I am not dropping in pure ammonia?

I'll be testing for ammonia tomorrow.

 

[neilanh]

Definately don't take it out until the cycle is all the way completed. The rotting shrimp is your ammonia source, so if you take that away, the nitrifying bacterium will starve.

 

[Marconis]

Gotchya. The shrimp now have a pink tint as if they were being cooked. It is kind of funny.

 

[SparKy697]

Enjoy it. My guess is that they look the best they are ever going to look right now...