1 weird story, 2 questions

[broncofish]

I'm cycling a 90 gallon tank, going on about a week now. I have 100lbs of well aged live rock. I put in ro/di water that had cured for a couple of days. I have a DSB seeded with live sand from my older tank. Anyway day number 1 throw in raw shrimp, small ammo spike less than a day later and the shrimp is gone????scratch my head and throw in 1 more shrimp three days later tiny ammo spike, go home to take out shrimp at lunch time, and there is an emerald crab munching on it. Must have hitch hiked in on my LR. Is that crab going to mess up the cycle? Do emerald crabs even eat shrimp, I thought they were algea eaters??? My levels all read zero now. Was that the quickest cycle ever, or do I need to throw in another shrimp?

 

[mossad327]

Emeral crabs do eat shrimp. They're omnivores and will basically eat anything they can get their hands on. I feed mine shrimp every few days just to make sure he has enough food. As far as messing up your cycle, I would think not. But somebody else could probably better answer that part of your post.

 

[broncofish]

Thanks I guess I just never watched any of my crabs that closely, my rocks are clean and they don't die hell they actually reproduce,so I guess I really never monitored there eating habits.

 

[broncofish]

Does anyone have an opinion on if I should throw in another shrimp???

 

[broncofish]

Thanks I had not thought about that. Do you think it is weird that my little crab buddy has not died yet. I tried to get him out...but he hides in the rocks pretty well.

 

[krishj39]

yeah, it won't mess up your cycle at all. you added the shrimp to give the tank some organic matter to eat (for the bacteria to eat, specifically). you didn't take that organic matter out of the tank, it just got eaten by a crab, so the shrimp will still cycle just as well, only now it will cycle in the form of crab poop.

 

[jrb384]

my opinion is your crab will get used to your water conditions and live through it. now if you were to add something comepletely new, it may not survive the current water conditions because they havent adjusted with it like the crab.
as far as your cycle time, using the ro/di water, cured live rock, and sand, i think it cuts down your cycle time tremendously. in fact, i did the exact same thing you did, minus the shrimp, and i had fish and corals in my tank within a month and they are did and are doing fine.

 

[dsa_mom]

you might consider adding a little cup of cocktail sauce. Ha! j/k

 

[overanalyzer]

Hmmm if not a cocktail shrimp maybe some other hors derve like dem little cocktail weiners .... HAHAHA
What about tossing one in your overflow area - if you are not overflowing the water into your 'fug yet then toss a shrimp in there and the little emarald crab would not be able to get at it ....
Lastly I would think that your cycle is going to fly with the established live sand and live rock ...
OK sorry about the poor spelling Gracie Pie is helping me type!