Ammonia to start cycle

[jeepboy]

Is an ammonia level of 0.25 high enough to start a cycle?
The tank is a 55g. We put 25lbs of live rock in it that is mostly cured to start cycle but wonder if the ammonia is high enough.

 

[usinkit]

Drop a frozen shrimp in their but be sure to put it in a mess filter bag so you can pull it out without it falling apart. That will get your cycle going or you can just wait and see if the live rock has enough die off to get it going.

 

[cprdnick]

Depending on how long you have had the rock in there .25ppm may not be the highest your ammonia will go. I do agree that you should buy a raw cocktail shrimp from your grocery store and put it in for a couple of days, that will get your ammonia to spike noticably and will ensure a more complete cycle.
Cured LR has no guarantee of starting a significant cycle. You will want to look in to buying more LR than what you have in it at the moment.

 

[jeepboy]

Will a cooked coctail shrimp work also?

 

[cprdnick]

No, cooked shrimp will not break down and decompose the same way a raw one will. when they are cooked they lose whatever it is that makes them decompose and produce large amounts of ammonia.