Should I keep the shrimp in the Tank Until?

[InfernoST]

My tank completed it's cycle yesterday and wanted to know if I should keep the shrimp in the tank until I get some livestock?

 

[thincat]

This is an ongoing debate. I say yes and this is why. If your readings of ammonia and nitrite are 0, that means that there are enough bacteria to handle the waste nitrogen of that piece of shrimp. If you take the shrimp out then some bacteria will die out as they consume the available nitrogen and when you add stock you may not have enough bacteria at that point to handle the load and some ammonia will become present until more bacteria can grow to meet the new load. For that reason I believe it is best to leave the shrimp in.

 

[dskidmore]

Keep the shrimp in until you are ready to start putting fish food in the tank. You don't want to starve your new bacteria population.

 

[melosu58]

wanted to know if I should keep the shrimp in the tank until I get some livestock?

This is what I would do. When you are a few days from adding fish I would remove the shrimp. I would do a 25% PWC just before adding the fish. JMO

 

[InfernoST]

Thanks Guys, I didn't make sense to me to remove the source if their wasn't another one to take it's place so i just wanted to double check since this the first time I ever used the fishless method. I planned a 50% PWC, is that OK or is it better to do 25%?

 

[melosu58]

If no fish are in there then 50% will be OK.

 

[InfernoST]

If no fish are in there then 50% will be OK.

Cool, No fish yet it just got done cycling. I was thinking of getting three Ocellaris Clownfish to start, what do you think (After the 50% PWC)?

 

[melosu58]

That`s a big tank but you might be better off with a mated pair.

 

[InfernoST]

That`s a big tank but you might be better off with a mated pair.

Do you know of any good sources?

 

[melosu58]

I always get my fish from my LFS but online places sell mated pairs of clown fish also.

 

[InfernoST]

Thanx Mike