cycle with shrimp

[barracuda]

I was wondering when to take out the shrimp, I started the cycle 10 days ago, and put in the LR 2 days ago. thanks 4 the help

 

[toddwess]

I took mine out after the tank had cycled and right before I added the first fish.

Stank to high-heaven so be careful when you remove it. Gonna smell up the kitchen for a few hours.

HTH,
Todd

 

[steve-s]

Depends on the state of the LR cured or uncured?. If pre-cured, after the ammonia spikes and begins to fall off you should see a dramatic rise in the nitrites. You should be safe to remove the shrimp once the nitrites spike. Just be sure to add small amounts of food about once a week or so to feed the bacteria as it finish's off the cycle process.

If the rock came in uncured (depending on amount) you can remove the shrimp anytime. The die off from the uncured rock should be sufficient to continue the cycle. Be sure though with uncured rock to run the skimmer and do a few water changes to keep NH3 and NO2 from reaching leathal levels. More hitchikers will be preserved that way.

Curing Live Rock? I didn't even know it was sick!!

Cheers
Steve

 

[drinkingbird]

I took the shrimp out when nitrites peaked, had a baggy handy. Like Todd said, it's a foul smell that lingers.

 

[firerescue2002]

what is the peak for the nitrates. I am at .25ppm and the shrimp has been in for only four days. I am cycling a new 30 gal. I have about 10lbs. of fully cured lr in the tank that I pulled from one of my other tanks. I also have 35lbs. argonite sand. I left most of the hitchhikers in the display tank as Im sure I will get more when I order new lr for this tank. Do I need to worry about die off from lr with the shrimp? Sorry for jumping in on the post I just didn't want to start a new one with the same subject....

TIA,
Andrew

 

[steve-s]

what is the peak for the nitrates. I am at .25ppm and the shrimp has been in for only four days.

Nitrates don't really peak as much as creap up. What you are moreso watching for is ammonia and nitrite to peak. Once both of those have spiked and diminished, you can then do a water change and move forward. With cured rock and seeding from one of your established tanks, the whole process can be alot faster.

There should not be any die off really from transfering the rock between two of your tanks unless they have encrusted corals. Then the possible ammonia from the shrimp rotting may cause some issues. If you have already experienced an ammonia spike, I would remove the shrimp. If you are adding more LR later on, you will need to go through the process again unless it's cured seperately.

Cheers
Steve

 

[SquishyFish]

Some ppl say to take it out when x parameter peaks..some say 1 week. My thoughts are a little different. The idea of tossing the shrimp in the tank is to add an ammonia source right? Why do we do this...because the bacteria need something to feed on. Why do we want them...so they can handle the fish load. Right? So..Why not leave the shrimp in till the tank completely cycles. If your tank can level out the parameters when it has a decaying shrimp in it, it will be able to handle fish poop.

Squishy

 

[steve-s]

So..Why not leave the shrimp in till the tank completely cycles. If your tank can level out the parameters when it has a decaying shrimp in it, it will be able to handle fish poop.

I do not see how leaving it will serve a purpose. Excessively toxic levels of ammonia is not needed to properly cycle a tank, only steady levels in the beginning. Generally 7-10 days and then the nitrites form. As long as small amounts of food are introdeuced weekly, the nitrosomonas will continue to have a low level ammonia source until sufficient nitrobacters are colonized to rid the tank of the NO2.

Bacteria grow to meet the food they are fed. If you leave the shrimp in until the cycle completes, you may end up with more nitrifying bacteria but the colonies will diminish as the food source does. Leaving the shrimp until the end serves no purpose really. Once it's removed and fish are eventually added, the bacteria will die back from the reduced ammonia load. Conversely as more fish are added the bacteria will increase to meet the increased load.

Cheers
Steve

 

[SquishyFish]

Just a difference of opinion and approach. I would rather know that my tank can handle the bioload from the start than hope that my first fish will make it. Granted the bacteria may die back some, but I would rather go into it w/ a strong bacteria bed than an adequate one.

Squishy