How long will an aquarium remain cycled without fish?

[NicolasRoc]

Interesting thread.
My tank just finished cycling and I won't be adding my first fish for another 5 weeks (1 week I am away and 4 weeks of QT for the first couple of fish), so I had exactly the same question.

From all the answers above I take it I shouldn't worry about loosing too much beneficial bacteria during that "fish-less time" but I think I will still add and remove a raw shrimp here and there just to make sure I feed the bacteria something.
Some very experienced reefers here say it is not necessary but I am really scared not feeding small amounts of ammonia will result in too much "bacteria casualty". I just can't help it.
As long as feeding small amounts of ammonia from time to time don't hurt then I will do it. Anyone thinks it will do more harm than good?

Thanks

 

[Brew12]

Interesting thread.
My tank just finished cycling and I won't be adding my first fish for another 5 weeks (1 week I am away and 4 weeks of QT for the first couple of fish), so I had exactly the same question.

From all the answers above I take it I shouldn't worry about loosing too much beneficial bacteria during that "fish-less time" but I think I will still add and remove a raw shrimp here and there just to make sure I feed the bacteria something.
Some very experienced reefers here say it is not necessary but I am really scared not feeding small amounts of ammonia will result in too much "bacteria casualty". I just can't help it.
As long as feeding small amounts of ammonia from time to time don't hurt then I will do it. Anyone thinks it will do more harm than good?

Thanks

Nope, it won't hurt. Other than raw shrimp might smell a bit nasty over time. I would use a pinch of fish food instead of raw shrimp, but that's just one of many ways to do it.

 

[brandon429]

natural sources will feed the bac if you add nothing, aquarists dont conrol natural bacteria vectoring like the rumors say they do.

we have fallow studies where live rock went 3 years unfed, then passed as if. we cannot starve a cycle, handy info.

 

[NicolasRoc]

natural sources will feed the bac if you add nothing, aquarists dont conrol natural bacteria vectoring like the rumors say they do.

we have fallow studies where live rock went 3 years unfed, then passed as if. we cannot starve a cycle, handy info.

thanks. I hear you. Can’t argue with that.

 

[Regular_Reefer]

I left my cycled tank empty for near 3 weeks before adding fish, I did a fish less cycle with no shrimp or ghost feeding. The levels stayed the same and there were no spikes when I added my first two fish.