Fishless cycle question

[Brew12]

I added 2 raw shrimp to my 120 gallon tank 6 days ago and then 2 more 2 days after that. Tank has dry rock (clean) and live sand.
Starting on day 3 I have been testing and have yet to see any ammonia or nitrite but it does look like my nitrate has gone up a little (API test kit so nitrate isn't overly accurate at low levels). Shouldn't I have seen some ammonia by now or is the bacteria in the live sand making the tank act like it has already cycled?

 

[reeferfoxx]

Sorry just saw the dry rock post. Wait longer. Check after a couple weeks.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

The issue with raw shrimp is that you can't control the ammonia, which is critical. use pure ammonia from the hardware store and dose up to 4ppm.

 

[Shep]

The issue with raw shrimp is that you can't control the ammonia, which is critical. use pure ammonia from the hardware store and dose up to 4ppm.

That works but is unnecessary, table shrimp work just fine and its how I have cycled all of my tanks with no issues. I would just give it some more time.

 

[Brew12]

The issue with raw shrimp is that you can't control the ammonia, which is critical. use pure ammonia from the hardware store and dose up to 4ppm.

Been looking for pure ammonia and can't find it anywhere in town. Closest thing I can find is "clear ammonia" but I don't think that is pure ammonia. Planning on ordering some.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

You try hardware stores? ace, true value, home depot, Lowe's, etc?

Been looking for pure ammonia and can't find it anywhere in town. Closest thing I can find is "clear ammonia" but I don't think that is pure ammonia. Planning on ordering some.

 

[Joey waid]

Give it time, two shrimp for that tank is not that much..

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

And that's the issue. optimum ammonia level for cycling is 4ppm. more or less than 4ppm will create issues. when you use shrimp, you have no idea how many it will take to get up to, and maintain at 4ppm. if you use pure ammonia you can dose specific amounts in a controlled manner.

Give it time, two shrimp for that tank is not that much..

 

[Brew12]

You try hardware stores? ace, true value, home depot, Lowe's, etc?

I checked Lowe's and Home Depot. We don't have a True Value or Ace within 30 miles.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

I really don't know if clear ammonia is the same thing. Most of the time pure ammonia is labelled for janitorial use.

 

[zoomonster]

Why not use a tank cycling bio product and have the tank fully cycled in as little as 1-2 weeks? There's a lot out there ranging from $9-$25. Dr Tim's, Aquaforest, Brightwell, Instant Ocean etc. etc. If not a LFS then Petco usually has IO Bio Spira. I used Continuum Aquatics Bacter Gen M. Safer and faster than using household cleaning chemicals to save a dollar. If your using a sand bed a bag of Caribsea Arag-Alive would help too. Think used 2 bags with 4 bags of seafloor. Leaving the shrimp in there will really speed it up.

 

[Brew12]

Why not use a tank cycling bio product and have the tank fully cycled in as little as 1-2 weeks? There's a lot out there ranging from $9-$25. Dr Tim's, Aquaforest, Brightwell, Instant Ocean etc. etc. If not a LFS then Petco usually has IO Bio Spira. I used Continuum Aquatics Bacter Gen M. Safer and faster than using household cleaning chemicals to save a dollar. If your using a sand bed a bag of Caribsea Arag-Alive would help too. Think used 2 bags with 4 bags of seafloor. Leaving the shrimp in there will really speed it up.

I used 70 pounds of Arag-Alive special mix. I have a bottle of Bio-Spira that I was going to add when I got an ammonia spike. Just expected to see a bit of ammonia by now. That's why I'm wondering if it is all being processed by the bacteria in the sand.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I used 70 pounds of Arag-Alive special mix. I have a bottle of Bio-Spira that I was going to add when I got an ammonia spike. Just expected to see a bit of ammonia by now. That's why I'm wondering if it is all being processed by the bacteria in the sand.

Bio-Spira should be added before ammonia. You would then dose ammonia to either keep the bacteria alive or make sure it worked. Bio-spira is live bacteria.

 

[geemanaz]

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[Brew12]

Bio-Spira should be added before ammonia. You would then dose ammonia to either keep the bacteria alive or make sure it worked. Bio-spira is live bacteria.

I was waiting for the ammonia to ensure the bacteria would have something to feed on. Didn't want them to die before the shrimp added ammonia to the water.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I was waiting for the ammonia to ensure the bacteria would have something to feed on. Didn't want them to die before the shrimp added ammonia to the water.

If high ammonia kills fish, why wouldn't high ammonia kill bacteria? The instructions on bio-spira say to wait at least 24 hours for a fish and 3 days before a good colony of bacteria to be established.

Some people clean with ammonia, just to kill bacteria.

 

[reeferfoxx]

You could wait for the nitrogen cycle or presence of nitrites to begin. Then add bio-spira.

 

[brandon429]

This will help:

nitrifers do not die when we add them to a hydrated solution and withhold something...the hydration keeps them alive, and they attain micro feeds to stay alive just fine as long as the earth has been around.

All cyclers do is affect time frames, things go faster if you boost their feed. The bacteria themselves actually get in and seed without us adding them, and create and maintain and be part of feed-generating communities if we merely hydrate anything then not spike it with meds, temp extremes or desiccation/drying


Withholding feed from the water and killing bac is something aquarists ascribe to themselves but anyone ever tasked with cleaning a microbiology lab clean enough to pass usda counter testing would never ever see as accurate.

If you want a fast cycle 2-3 weeks maintain your ammonia ppm mentioned and hit the bottle bac a few times. You wouldn't have to add any bacteria whatsoever, nor shrimp nor a chloride nor any source from our intentions and the tank would still cycle given 12 mos in any place on the planet that isn't a positive-pressure microbiology lab.

 

[reeferfoxx]

You shouldn't have to add 3 times the recommended amount of bio-spira. Honestly, I cycled with bio-spira. It was the easiest thing I've ever done to this tank.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I was waiting for the ammonia to ensure the bacteria would have something to feed on. Didn't want them to die before the shrimp added ammonia to the water.

Go to the Dr tims website. It explains the whole process of fish less cycle with bottled bacteria. and I belive the ammonia is available there.
The old school method is long.
Leave the shrimp in the tank until the tank stinks like heck. Pull the shrimp out.
IMO adding a bacterial will after the naturally after tha ammonia levels and readings and will confuse the issue as its a mixed method. Adding am in measured amounts and adding bacterials or rot shrimp and let nature take its course.