Out of town during fishless cycle?

[gzeiger]

I find myself in a bit of a situation. I have a new 55 gallon tank cycling with my new Eheim filter. At this point it can process at least 4 ppm ammonia, but so far no evidence of processing nitrite.

I need to go out of town this weekend... about 2500 miles... Friday morning until Tuesday morning. Not really avoidable due to family emergency.

I did start with seed material, so this is only about 8 days in, but I don't want to lose this progress as I really would like to move fish into this tank soon. I just bought a house, and the new tank is cycling over there so that I can move fish from my 75 gallon before I move the tank, thereby avoiding sticking largish fish in buckets for many hours while I move the tank, so I have a time limit on finishing the cycle in order to be able to follow through on that plan.

Anyone have recommendations on how to keep the cycle going while I can't dose ammonia for almost five days? Options that come to mind are throwing in a couple frozen shrimp, or doing a 95% water change to lower the nitrite and adding a fistful of feeders. Any other ideas?

 

[neilanh]

The shrimp will take time to decompose, it may gap you more than 5 days.

I've never tried going more than 48 hours without "feeding" my cycle, so I dunno.

Neighbor? Friend?

 

[gzeiger]

Maybe. I don't know the neighbors yet though, and I work funny hours for going over to meet them on short notice. Friends all live at least half an hour away. That'd be a lot to ask to drive an hour to dump two capfuls of ammonia in an empty fish tank.

 

[mgamer20o0]

prob should still be fine. dose up right before you leave. since there not any sign of nitrite you prob will come back to still find plenty of ammonia in the tank.

 

[gzeiger]

??

A full dose of ammonia is metabolized overnight. Nitrite is off the chart high. There is no nitrate.

 

[CaptainAhab]

I'd drop the shrimp in and go away. The old adage rings true here too... A watched pot never boils. Just let nature take it's course you can check when you return and PWC your way back inline if needed. 2 shrimp in a 50 should last you plenty

 

[Mystery]

You can rig a ziplock bag with a pinhole to drip into the aquarium and get approximately the right dose. If the drip looks a bit fast add water into the bag to dilute it. leave it dripping for an hour to get the rate you have (make the hole as small as possible that still allows dripping) and dilute to get the dosing you want.

 

[mgamer20o0]

??

A full dose of ammonia is metabolized overnight. Nitrite is off the chart high. There is no nitrate.

ah well thats a little different. maybe a iv drip or like what Mystery said.