Cycling- should I take shrimp out?

DracoKat · Jul 14, 2016

I still have shrimp from the supermarket in the tank, half decomposed- fuzzy. It's day 3 with it in there.

My testing is showing signs of cycling.. Should I take the shrimp out now? It's a half a jumbo shrimp

TheAsian0328 · Jul 14, 2016

I would leave it in for about a week then pull it out. Make sure the levels are going down from left to right. Once the nitrates reach around 5.0 ppm and the rest are close to 0 you are good to go.

DracoKat · Jul 14, 2016

Thank you

Tahoe61 · Jul 14, 2016

I would pull it.

twilliard · Jul 14, 2016

Tahoe61 said:
I would pull it.

Agreed I would pull it also.

Lionfish Lair · Jul 14, 2016

I leave my shrimp/fish in until the process is complete. You have to be careful not to let the values climb too high, however, or it'll stall your cycle.

DracoKat · Jul 14, 2016

So conflicted... lol. I'll pull it out tomorrow

FishLover01 · Jul 15, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
I leave my shrimp/fish in until the process is complete. You have to be careful not to let the values climb too high, however, or it'll stall your cycle.

I totally agree with you. As of right now, his ammonia and nitrite levels are fine as the values aren't too bad during cycling. However, I've never had a tank with this high of a nitrate reading during cycling. Won't he have to do a 50% water change over a couple of days to lower it after the ammonia and nitrite levels are at 0?

DracoKat · Jul 15, 2016

I am prepared to do water changes when the cycle nears its end. It's barely 1 week filled with water.

I did take the shrimp out this morning- I also felt the Nitrate levels were too high

PS. I am a "She"

FishLover01 · Jul 15, 2016

DracoKat said:
I am prepared to do water changes when the cycle nears its end. It's barely 1 week filled with water.

I did take the shrimp out this morning- I also felt the Nitrate levels were too high

PS. I am a "She"

Oops...sorry about the she part-lol. How did you get these nitrites and nitrates after just one week? Did you add bacteria in a bottle?

DracoKat · Jul 15, 2016

I used half a jumbo shrimp.. about a cup of sand from my existing 3 year old tank and few small pieces of rubble to get it going. Shrimp's been there for 3 and a half days before I decided to pull.

all dry rock, btw.

DracoKat · Jul 15, 2016

I just tested again. Hard to tell with the colors and my sleepy eyes..

Ammonia: either 1.0 or 2.0 ppm (I want to say 1.0)
Nitrite: .50 ppm
Nitrate: 40 ppm

FishLover01 · Jul 15, 2016

Wow...I've never cycled that quick before. It looks to be in good shape though. Should start seeing ammonia and nitrites going to 0. Whatever the nitrate reading is at that time, you could do a 50% water change to cut the nitrate level in half.

FishLover01 · Jul 15, 2016

DracoKat said:
I just tested again. Hard to tell with the colors and my sleepy eyes..

Ammonia: either 1.0 or 2.0 ppm (I want to say 1.0)
Nitrite: .50 ppm
Nitrate: 40 ppm

20ppm nitrates will be OK for a fish only tank. Invertibrates and corals need way lower than that if possible.

DracoKat · Jul 15, 2016

I am thinking the established sand and rubble helped speed it a bit. I am in no rush.. I want to take my time with this one!

I am debating if I want to add some LR from my existing tank now, or wait until cycle is over.

DracoKat · Jul 15, 2016

I will be having corals and inverts. Will have to get it all the way down once cycle is complete!

thank you for the advice, appreciate it!!

FishLover01 · Jul 15, 2016

DracoKat said:
I am thinking the established sand and rubble helped speed it a bit. I am in no rush.. I want to take my time with this one!

I am debating if I want to add some LR from my existing tank now, or wait until cycle is over.

I've always heard that one should cycle a tank with the live rock inside. I don't have experience in not doing so. I suppose it's whatever you prefer. It's like everything else in this hobby. One can do it this way and one could do it that way and they both achieve the same results.

Lionfish Lair · Jul 15, 2016

The problem with removing the shrimp, is you are removing the ammonia source. You're building a population of bacteria that are able to convert ammonia to nitrite, called ammonia-oxidizers, by basically feeding them. If you stop feeding them, their numbers will dwindle and you'll lose some of that which you've grown.

DracoKat · Jul 15, 2016

I am hearing so many differences with cycling, it's confusing!

Shrimp is already gone and I do not have another to replace. I'll start feeding with fish food to keep it going