Bacteria Question

[nikki_kaiser]

How long can bacteria live in a cycled tank that has nothing in it but live rock? No fish, no CUC.

 

[egrape]

forever. I mean eventually they might need a food source but I really wouldn't stress.

 

[mr_X]

It will need a regular food source to sustain life, just like everything else. You should ghost feed the tank if nothing is in it. I can't give an exact time frame, but It's not months.

 

[dmolavi]

I would drop a raw cocktail shrimp in there (in a stocking to keep it from breaking up all over the place), or dose a couple times a week with pure ammonia. That way they have something to eat.

The ammonia route is a lot less stinky, and you won't need to run carbon on the tank, either. With the shrimp, you get a lot of dissolved organics, the water stinks and will turn yellow-ish. Carbon will clear it up right away, though.

 

[nikki_kaiser]

I started dosing ammonia. Thank you!

 

[huma-huma]

Make sure you take your time in dosing with ammonia. Gradually add to it every5-7 days. If you start off with a large amount, the bacteria in your tank wont be adjusted to it.

 

[Trueerfan]

Just don't go over 3ppm in a day.