can you start a cycle with a raw SCALLOP??

[frozenguy]

I didn't have any shrimp. so i used a scallop.. my ammonia still 0 after 22 hours.. sound about right? it has a layer around it.. globby looking.. uniformily surrounding the scallop.. its in a 10gal tank.. about as big as my middle finger tip.. small piece..
i have 16pounds lr and 20pounds ls.. both added 50 hours ago.. water was started about 75 hours ago with just heater and salt and powerehad.. i have carbon running btw..
ammonia was around .25-.5 yesterday with little nitrite activity.. after i put in the scallop (last night) since today i have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites with about 10 nitrates.. maybe 5.. what you guys think? i know its so soon but i dont know what to think of these numbers!!

peter
ps i just wanna know whats going on in my tank and wehre it is.. i'm not gonna start adding anything.. except for 3 yellow tangs.. jk

 

[zanoshanox]

yes you can

 

[frozenguy]

do you think it would matter if its been frozen for 2 years? lol.. i didn't think it would be bad..maybe just not as effective?

 

[frozenguy]

I really could use someones help on this one..
i just tested water parameters.. i got as follows
ammonia- 0
nitrites- 0
nitrates- 10
ph- 7.9-8.0 (is that kent marine buffer good? which one do i get?)
salt- 1.023
temp-79/80
I have had 16#lr and 20#ls in my ten gallon for about 3 or 4 days now.. the scallop has been in there for almost 48 hours and its had this film around it since hour 5.. i showed a little ammonia activity and a little nitrite activity within the first two days of my tank.. what do you guys think?

 

[crimzy]

Let the scallop sit in there and rot. The rotting will produce ammonia which will then turn to nitrite. Don't be too anxious to remove the scallop. The longer it sits, the more ammonia will be produced. If more ammonia is produced then more bacteria will be produced to convert it. Keeping the scallop in there longer may add a little time to the cycle, but a higher ammonia spike will create a better biological filter.

 

[frozenguy]

...i know this.. i just need someone to tell me why my params aren't spiking and why they did a little a couple days go!! in reality i SAW the cycle happen! can anyone confirm this?? my ammonia spiked to just under .5 then went down and my nitrites went a notch up on the scale and are now 0 and my trates are at 10.. that is a cycle right?? well can seomeone tell me why i got mine so fast? is it cause of all my lr? all my ls?
dont you think it would spike ammonia a little?!? after almost 48 hours of being in there no ammonia spike

 

[bigarn]

Sounds to me you lucked out and had a quick cycle. The ammonia doesn't have to go through the roof to be considered a spike .... now I'd put some flake food in there just like you're feeding fish in order to challenge the cycle.

 

[frozenguy]

well wouldn't that scallop do the same thing?
i'll try flake food.. anyone think i should remove the scallop before ghost feeding? i'm not scared to hear that i have to wait.. i just dont like not knowing whats going on and i'm trying to understand my specific situation as best as possilbe.. i messed up before and i dont wanna do it again.

 

[bigarn]

Take the scallop out before feeding the tank.

 

[frozenguy]

ok.. a little ot.
can anyone recomend a good ph buffer? i'm confused about kents pro buffer and buffer.. whats the difference? descrips are the same.. are they safe? should i need one? is it hiding another issue of mine? i think my ph is about 7.9..

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by frozenguy
ok.. a little ot.
can anyone recomend a good ph buffer? i'm confused about kents pro buffer and buffer.. whats the difference? descrips are the same.. are they safe? should i need one? is it hiding another issue of mine? i think my ph is about 7.9..
Buffers can be a controversial subject on this forum. IMO, I use one at times and like the results. I use SeaChem Marine Buffer; but they are all quite similar. (and mostly baking soda). If you go to the Mfgs web site, they can usually tell you the difference in their products. Also, most sites have a toll free tech dept phone number that I use a lot.

 

[frozenguy]

yeah.. i was just doing a little research on them after i read your post.. I'm a little controversial now on it!! lol well I think i'm going to experiment with it but (now only after reading, and thanks to you..) i need to get some more tests before i start using it. I'm also just going to wait because i read several times that its possibly not un common to see lower ph's in new tanks.. hopefully it will rise above 8 in the comming days/weeks

 

[oceansidefish]

You may have gone through a small cycle when you added the live rock and sand...I would start ghost feeding the tank and keep checking your params. The longer you wait the better, especially in that small of a tank

 

[frozenguy]

k.. i'm just gonna wait around a couple days.. check on it here and there.. ghost feed...
should i get the frozen cubes? i'm not even sure when i'll get fish to use them for real.. do they go bad? should i just buy some saltwater fish flake??

 

[frozenguy]

ok so its been 72 hours that the scallop has been in my tank. my ammonia or nitrites havn't budged from 0.. nitrates are 5-10.. ph is 7.8-8... what do you guys think?? tank has been up for about 5-6 days now.. 16# lr and 20#ls.. cycle over with? my ammonia didn't budge with the scallop decaying in there..
Peter