Can someone please help me understand

[dab4u2]

I have a 250 gallon aquarium that I am trying to cycle. I do not have any liverock and sand as my substrate. I have a homemade wet/dry trickle filter with about 5 gallons of bio-balls in a 40 gallon sump area. I have had 6 damsels for about 3 weeks and I have put many dead shrimp in my sump as well. I have yet to see the first sign of ammonia or nitrites. Should it take this long to start seeing something? I cycled my 55 in about 5 weeks but I noticed ammonia within a week.

 

[bigarn]

That's a big tank! Give it more time to cycle. Try putting the shrimp in the tank itself. To bad you decided to cycle with live fish. Is this going to be a fish only tank?

 

[dab4u2]

Yes, fish only. Probably aggressive. So shrimp in the tank?

 

[viper_930]

Originally posted by dab4u2
Yes, fish only. Probably aggressive. So shrimp in the tank?
Dead shrimp. I know you already have, but try more shrimp at one time to try and get the ammonia up. And I would recommend you return the damsels. Cycling with live fish is very inhumane IMO. If we can cycle a tank with livestock in it, then there will be no use for a cycle either.

 

[dab4u2]

I have cycled a 55 with damsels and they all lived. But I guess they probably suffer alot through the process.