Nano Nitrogen Cycle

[Taygel]

Is putting a whole shrimp in for a 10 gallon tank to much? Any tips on a nano cycle? I didn't want to blast it with ammonia!

Cheers
Noob


Biocube 14
7 lbs live rock
Intank media rack
powerhead

 

[fort384]

Depends on the size of the shrimp, but it won't really hurt to add the whole thing. If ammonia spikes too high, you can just do a PWC and get it back to your desired range.

 

[Taygel]

Depends on the size of the shrimp, but it won't really hurt to add the whole thing. If ammonia spikes too high, you can just do a PWC and get it back to your desired range.

Thanks. I was hoping the live rock would start the cycle but all parameters stayed steady. Thinking its because I bought the LR from a local guy with a established tank?

 

[fort384]

Yup, you probably experienced very little die off on account of it being established.

 

[Taygel]

Okay, so shrimpy in and the waiting begins. I also noticed some more hitchhikers. Can anyone help with identifying!? In the 2nd and 3rd pic you can see it at the bottom of the dead coral the local guy gave me, its red or maroon. I really didn't want it but my wife was super excited to have it so I just rested it on the rocks there. Anywhooo, anybody with an idea of what that is?

 

[fort384]

I see a random polyp in there. Thats a good hitchhiker

 

[Taygel]

Not sure if i'm being impatient, but the shrimp has been in the tank for three days now and my ammonia has barely spiked. Between .25- .50 maybe this is the spike i'm looking for maybe not. Is there ever a time when I take the shrimp out? What kind of Ammonia spike should i be hoping for. I do see a browning of my rocks and sand. Anyways....Any help or calming advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

 

[fort384]

3 days is nothing It will take some time. It will go much higher than this as the shrimp continues to break down. If the ammonia gets much above 4ppm, I would do a water change to bring it down some, but I would leave the shrimp in until the tank is cycled (0 ammonia, 0 nitrites (after both have spiked), and some nitrate.

 

[Taygel]

Thanks for all the help!

Will the hitchhikers survive this cycle? I have some tube dusters and two different types of starfish(brittle and unknown), and some sort of polyp.

 

[Taygel]

update

Just wanted to give everyone an update (Fort an update...lol) My tank is looking gross. I can see why people get so impatient, I'm ready to roll! I've had my shrimp in and starting cycling for around 4 days now. Haven't seen to much of an ammonia spike but i see lots of changes in the tank. You can see the brownish algae growing in the sand and rocks. I'm going to add more live rock so its up to snuff for pound per gallon ratio. I have a local store that has tons of reef stuff for sale and he's really helpful too. I love reading everyones posts but not yet knowledgeable to write or help so I'm being pretty selfish on that front. I did find it hard to get details on cycling. I mean the basics were there, add shrimp, let ammonia spike, ammonia back to zero, Nitrite spike, Nitrite back to zero then Nitrate spike, then water change.

When can i get my CUC?

Any advice on Power head positioning?

And again, should that shrimp stay in the tank till its gone or is there a time i should remove it?

Just a few of my questions popping into my head!

Cheers

 

[ktomminello]

CUC should do fine when your ammonia and trItes are cycled. Looks like you have diatoms starting- nano tanks- especially 10g- are notorious for being high maintenance... If don't stay on top of things they spin out of control, FAST!! I had my 10g nano fully cycled and my puffer 40g crashed, so I took the rock from my 10g- had it running with nothing but a few clams in it (my hubby thought it was funny) for a month before I added rock and started it up again... Had everything going and stable for almost 2 weeks when my salinity spiked unexpectedly.... That was after 1 day away, and there was nothing in the tank except 3 blue foot hermits and a small emerald crab... Along with clams that I am still finding in my sand bed. Just sharing my experience with nanos.

 

[Taygel]

Will these Diatoms will die off after the cycle? Or is this something thats "out of control" already?

 

[ktomminello]

Diatoms are normal, though kind of annoying to look at when you see your sand discolored and pebbled, I'm a big fan of crabs and there are a few that actually eat them. For all intensive purposes, though, there are snails that do a better job with it without compromising the potential for corals. I was lucky- for my 40g I had cerith and nasarius hitchhikers in my rock along with lots of bristle worms and other worms and inverts that took care of it for me- my 10g just had another diatom bloom, I'm waiting on my cleaner snails to get here. I am pretty new to salt, my puffer was my introduction, and, well, he started out as fresh, lol, and I've been a freshwater keeper, so I'm not 100% on this one as far as it being or causing problems, I'm kinda going through the same thing right now...

 

[Taygel]

Thanks for your help. I added about 5lbs more of LR and my ammonia is staying steady at .25, so no real spike yet. The shrimp has been in there for 6 days now.

Ammonia .25... Nitrites 0.....Nitrate 10


So i guess its still a waiting game!

 

[Cjsanders757]

Don't mean to jack your thread but can anyone help me out with my cycle.



Been a day since I put in a shrimp piece of live rock and switched out two established filters from my 80 an 30 gallon. Ammonia about 2-4, nitrate 40, nitrite .25-.50.

 

[Taygel]

Totally jacked man.....lol Looks good I think. Just hold true and your ammonia should go down then your nitrite should go up. Then that should go down and your Nitrate should go up.....then a water change. That ammonia is a little high even for a cycle for what limited knowledge is worth from me. You could do a small 10% or 20% water change and get that ammonia down a little. Maybe others could weigh in....!

Its weird, you added a shrimp and boom ammonia skyrockets and I do and it hovers around .25-.50. I wonder why??

 

[Cjsanders757]

It probably shot up for me because I used a canister filter from my thirty then switched to the whisper filter off my 20 gallon and added bio balls from my 80 gallon along with a piece of live rock. Maybe that's why?? Lol

 

[Taygel]

Its funny and I'm not sure why but i wanted that real nice ammonia spike. Then for everything to follow like clock work.

 

[Taygel]

Ok. Got even weirder for me.

Checked water today and I have 0's across the board. I was at least expecting my Nitrates to be up since I haven't done a water change yet. The shrimp is just a shell now, bits and pieces of it are everywhere as well as a ton of brown algae or diatoms.

Next step CUC? and water change?

 

[fort384]

It is very possible the tank is cycled since you had live rock in it. 0's across the board is unexpected though. I would add more seafood personally

Like I said, hard to believe though. When I cycled my 57 gal reef with 1 raw shrimp, I hit 2+ppm ammonia, then had noticeable spikes in nitrite and nitrate. However, I was using all base rock save about 3 lbs of live rock.