LFS giving bad advice???

[pancho]

My tank has been cycling for almost a month now. i have 35 lbs of dry rock, 15 live, and 40 lbs of dry sand. I tested the water only once about a week and a half in and noticed some ammonia (dont remeber the exact reading).

I took a sample today to my LFS and this lady said that since i had no fish in there, they wouldnt be able to read anything. I asked her what she meant, and she told me i should have added a fish to start the cycle. ive read a hundred times on here not to do that, but is it possible that my cycle didnt even start because i didnt add anything? the test read no ammonia, and low levels of nitrites and nitrates.

ive had wierd stuff grow on my liverock, and now theres tons of brown algae all over the place, on my rocks and sand. is my cycle near to completion or do i have to wait another month??

 

[lando]

Cycling with fish as the LFS suggests is a bit outdated. All you need it an NH3 source to start and feed the cycle. Many people use a raw cocktail shrimp from the grocery store. Put it in the tank and let it decay for a couple of weeks. Take it out and watch water parameters for a few more weeks. Keep in mind that LFS does not make money when you use the fishless method. Also, be leary of relying on the LFS for test results. It is okay to use them as a back up but you should be keeping an eye on things yourself. I would trust your home reading just as much as the LFS.

 

[dianeww]

i didnt add anything

Did you add nothing at all? Normally for the fishless cycle you'd throw in a shrimp fom the grocery store which will break down and start your cycle going.

 

[dianeww]

You beat me to it, Lando, and more detail, too!

 

[pancho]

I didnt add a shrimp at first. There were 3 or 4 small snails that i didnt get from my freshwater, that died. then a bumblebee snail and a hermit crab that were hitchhikers from my LR lived in the tank for a week and a half until i gave them to my friend. theres bristle worms, a small aptaisia, and pods all over the front and back of my glass, so i assumed the cycle was going and i didnt want to add a shrimp to mess anything up.

 

[roka64]

Test your water. If you see no ammonia but some nitrItes and nitrAtes, your cycle might be almost complete, especially if you have an algea bloom. I think the deaths may have helped your cycle by producing the needed ammonia.
Lando is correct, the LFS doesn't make money if you do a fishless cycle.