cycling w/o live fish

[darb2]

This is my first time cycling wo damsels, so pls help me out
I set up a 75 gal tank 10 days ago. Added some atlantic salmon from grocery store ( it was the only uncooked, un frozen stuff there). Yesterday I was trying to get the base rock in the tank set up and noticed that the water in the tank smelled like the docks. The smell wasn't strong, but it was there. Is this common I was planning to remove the scraps after the nitrite spiked but am concrened about the odor.

 

[mhaynes01]

yep it is i have shrimp and it does smell

 

[fishfreek]

How much salmon did you add? YOu would not need much. Basicly you just need enough to get the ammonia to appear and then the bactera will start to reproduce to consume the ammonia and thus the start of your ammonia cycle.

 

[darb2]

From what I read on AA 4 pcs of shrimp were needed to cycle a 75 gal tank, so I tried to add the same biomass

 

[steve-s]

Once things get rolling the smell should subside on it's own. In the meantime adding some carbon will help with the smell. FWIW, the salmon has a much higher nutrient content which means you would have needed less. The end result is the same (a cycled tank) just the circumstances will be slightly different.

Cheers
Steve