Almost two weeks and still no Ammonia?

[Drew Palagyi]

Hello everyone,
It has been two weeks since I put the shrimp in my tank. No Ammonia yet. The shrimp look sick as heck. With live rock and live sand I would have hoped that this would have started by now. My neighbor has a saltwater aquarium and has offered some of his water since he is going to do a water change. He said that by adding his water to mine it should jump start my cycle. Should this in fact help? My high PH is also reading 8.1 Any help would be appreciated. Thank-you,
Drew

 

[jay0705]

Are u measuring anything?. Nitrate, nitrite?

 

[bang guy]

Adding his water will have no effect.

Do you have any Nitrate?

Because of the rock your tank may already have a sufficient bacterial colony. If it were me I would remove the shrimp and then start ghost feeding your tank. Feed the amount of fish food you think you would feed your first fish. If you still see no ammonia after a couple of weeks then the tank is probably ready for a fish.

The ghost feeding will maintain a bacterial colony large enough to support a fish and allow the tank to stabilize.

 

[Drew Palagyi]

Here are my test results as of 8:45pm EST PH 8.1 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 20ppm. Salinity is set at 1.023 temperature 78 degrees.

 

[Drew Palagyi]

Adding his water will have no effect.

Do you have any Nitrate?

Because of the rock your tank may already have a sufficient bacterial colony. If it were me I would remove the shrimp and then start ghost feeding your tank. Feed the amount of fish food you think you would feed your first fish. If you still see no ammonia after a couple of weeks then the tank is probably ready for a fish.

The ghost feeding will maintain a bacterial colony large enough to support a fish and allow the tank to stabilize.

Thanks!

 

[trigger40]

Here are my test results as of 8:45pm EST PH 8.1 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 20ppm. Salinity is set at 1.023 temperature 78 degrees.

it looks to me like ther was enough bacteria t begin with.

 

[Drew Palagyi]

it looks to me like ther was enough bacteria t begin with.

I agree...Just wish I would have know earlier today. The sale on my clownfish ends tonight!

 

[trigger40]

thers always sales. i bet in a few weeks you will see something similar.

 

[jay0705]

Agreed your tank is cyclef

 

[flower]

Hello everyone,
It has been two weeks since I put the shrimp in my tank. No Ammonia yet. The shrimp look sick as heck. With live rock and live sand I would have hoped that this would have started by now. My neighbor has a saltwater aquarium and has offered some of his water since he is going to do a water change. He said that by adding his water to mine it should jump start my cycle. Should this in fact help? My high PH is also reading 8.1 Any help would be appreciated. Thank-you,
Drew

Follow what Bang guy said....I just think that couple of weeks he said to ghost feed, should be done while the new fish is in a quarantine tank.

I would like to try and help you understand what's going on a little better, and maybe educate your friend too. There is very little good bacteria in old water. The good bacteria is on the rocks, sand and any other solid surface in the tank. Live rock and sand is the starter you needed, and you already have enough good bacteria to handle even a rotten piece of shrimp or your ammonia would be off the chart high.

Do a test to see if you have any ammonia, nitrite and nitrates...if the first two are at 0 and you have nitrates, the tank has cycled it's first time. Your tank will constantly cycle...(the fish poop becomes ammonia, and the good bacteria colony makes sure it isn't detectable and hurt your fish) If after your test, the nitrates are above 10 and the other two are at 0...do a small water change and you can safely add ONE fish.

You SHOULD put your new fish in a quarantine tank for about 4 weeks. during that time, sprinkle a little flake food into the display like you are feeding an invisible fish. As Bang Guy said, it will maintain that good bacteria you have built up, to keep the tank fish ready...

 

[Drew Palagyi]

Follow what Bang guy said....I just think that couple of weeks he said to ghost feed, should be done while the new fish is in a quarantine tank.

I would like to try and help you understand what's going on a little better, and maybe educate your friend too. There is very little good bacteria in old water. The good bacteria is on the rocks, sand and any other solid surface in the tank. Live rock and sand is the starter you needed, and you already have enough good bacteria to handle even a rotten piece of shrimp or your ammonia would be off the chart high.

Do a test to see if you have any ammonia, nitrite and nitrates...if the first two are at 0 and you have nitrates, the tank has cycled it's first time. Your tank will constantly cycle...(the fish poop becomes ammonia, and the good bacteria colony makes sure it isn't detectable and hurt your fish) If after your test, the nitrates are above 10 and the other two are at 0...do a small water change and you can safely add ONE fish.

You SHOULD put your new fish in a quarantine tank for about 4 weeks. during that time, sprinkle a little flake food into the display like you are feeding an invisible fish. As Bang Guy said, it will maintain that good bacteria you have built up, to keep the tank fish ready...

OK thanks. All of you are amazing people! I am going to learn so much here. More knowledge means less dead fish! And more money spent wisely.

 

[beaslbob]

With a rotting shrimp and no ammonia/nitrItes plus some nitrates and a high pH you may have what I call the "planted" cycle going on.

With marine tanks the "planted" is provided by various algaes which come in on the live rock or can be added with macro algaes or even a algae turf scrubber.

what happens is the algae consume the ammonia directly for nitrogen and therefore less nitrates. So instead of an ammonia->nitrItes->nitrate bacteria driven cycle you get a nitrate spike.

Meanwhile the aerobic bacteria is still building up so after a few weeks the bacteria get the ammonia and the algae then reluctantly is forced to consume nitrates for nitrogen. So nitrates start dorpping.

Hopefully that is what is happening.


my .02

 

[Drew Palagyi]

With a rotting shrimp and no ammonia/nitrItes plus some nitrates and a high pH you may have what I call the "planted" cycle going on.

With marine tanks the "planted" is provided by various algaes which come in on the live rock or can be added with macro algaes or even a algae turf scrubber.

what happens is the algae consume the ammonia directly for nitrogen and therefore less nitrates. So instead of an ammonia->nitrItes->nitrate bacteria driven cycle you get a nitrate spike.

Meanwhile the aerobic bacteria is still building up so after a few weeks the bacteria get the ammonia and the algae then reluctantly is forced to consume nitrates for nitrogen. So nitrates start dorpping.

Hopefully that is what is happening.


my .02

Ok So I just put my clams, crabs, snails, and peppermint shrimp in today. Are they going to die? They all looked pretty happy today. All tests were the same as before.

 

[trigger40]

the cuc should not be added this early. if what beaslbob said is corect then you may run into problems

 

[jay0705]

Youll know fairly soon. inverts are more sensitive to water chemistry than fish. If they make more than a wk your water is fine

 

[Drew Palagyi]

Just an update on my tank. All CUC is thriving and happy. Water tested again today and PH 8.3, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 20. Every thing looks great! Colors are forming on live rock and have been ghost feeding since September 10th. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for all of your help.