Dosing ammonia for cycle... bad?

[mrcrazypants05]

I was just wondering if dosing with pure ammonia would be better than the shrimp or maybe the shrimp is better because it dissolves and breaks down slower? What would really be better? Any benefits of either?

 

[hackteck]

i would go with the uncooked shrimp it seems to be the norm

 

[melosu58]

Shrimp is better because it will work the natural process of decay.

 

[Guest]

A. Shrimp will produce exactly the same result except it takes time to break down and turn into ammonia.
B. Dosing the ammonia is instant.
C. Shrimp, you get to see breakdown and disappear while ammonia provides no viewing enjoyment.
D. Both will provide desired results.

 

[philthefish]

I'm using ammonia at the moment to recycle my tank after unexplained fish deaths. I started off by adding enough to give a reading of 1 ppm and dosed this every morning. My ammonia is now dropping to zero within 12 hours of dosing...nitrites were at 0.3 last night (3.0 the night before).....hopefully be zero tonight.

It's only taken me a week to get to this stage, but this was because the tank was already cycled (I'm just simulating an increase in bioload). If all is zero tonight or tomorrow I'll do a 50% water change and add 3 Chromis.

Does this sound sensible? (Sorry to hijack your post with my own question!!!)

Phil

 

[coolchinchilla]

Ammonia all the way for me. I'm told a decaying shrimp can make the whole place stink. Ammonia has no odor once diluted in the tank. Very easy to use. I didn't carefully dose it, I just estimated what the tank should get and then filled the lid to the 2nd or 3rd thread and dumped it in.