Cooked or Uncooked Shrimp Cycling
- Thread starter edpete97
- Start date
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jesses89
Guest
i was seriously laughing my ass off with that one ..
reefrank
New Member
It just absolutely amazes me at how many people want to rush into this hobby. The most successful Reef keepers are those that just take it easy and let the nature of the tank do its thing.
I myself have started many a tank. I have never rushed a cycle with shrimp or any other dead organism. A big part of this hobby is watching your tank grow and part of that growth is the tank cycling. Sit back relax watch the neat stuff on the live rock come to life for a month or so, ad some damsels and chill or other inexpensive fish. (I still have my three blue chromis that were the first fish in my 55 gallon many a year ago, now living large in my 125).
I guess all that I am saying, is don't rush it, enjoy every stage of your tanks growth, thats what it is all about.
I myself have started many a tank. I have never rushed a cycle with shrimp or any other dead organism. A big part of this hobby is watching your tank grow and part of that growth is the tank cycling. Sit back relax watch the neat stuff on the live rock come to life for a month or so, ad some damsels and chill or other inexpensive fish. (I still have my three blue chromis that were the first fish in my 55 gallon many a year ago, now living large in my 125).
I guess all that I am saying, is don't rush it, enjoy every stage of your tanks growth, thats what it is all about.
hagfish
Active Member
Originally Posted by reefrank
It just absolutely amazes me at how many people want to rush into this hobby. The most successful Reef keepers are those that just take it easy and let the nature of the tank do its thing.
I myself have started many a tank. I have never rushed a cycle with shrimp or any other dead organism. A big part of this hobby is watching your tank grow and part of that growth is the tank cycling. Sit back relax watch the neat stuff on the live rock come to life for a month or so, ad some damsels and chill or other inexpensive fish. (I still have my three blue chromis that were the first fish in my 55 gallon many a year ago, now living large in my 125).
I guess all that I am saying, is don't rush it, enjoy every stage of your tanks growth, thats what it is all about.
The point of using the shrimp is not to rush the cycle. It is to start the cycle. Ammonia has to be introduced. As the shrimp decays it produces ammonia.
I definitely would not cook the shrimp first. What would be the point?
It just absolutely amazes me at how many people want to rush into this hobby. The most successful Reef keepers are those that just take it easy and let the nature of the tank do its thing.
I myself have started many a tank. I have never rushed a cycle with shrimp or any other dead organism. A big part of this hobby is watching your tank grow and part of that growth is the tank cycling. Sit back relax watch the neat stuff on the live rock come to life for a month or so, ad some damsels and chill or other inexpensive fish. (I still have my three blue chromis that were the first fish in my 55 gallon many a year ago, now living large in my 125).
I guess all that I am saying, is don't rush it, enjoy every stage of your tanks growth, thats what it is all about.
The point of using the shrimp is not to rush the cycle. It is to start the cycle. Ammonia has to be introduced. As the shrimp decays it produces ammonia.
I definitely would not cook the shrimp first. What would be the point?
reefrank
New Member
Originally Posted by hagfish
The point of using the shrimp is not to rush the cycle. It is to start the cycle. Ammonia has to be introduced. As the shrimp decays it produces ammonia.
I definitely would not cook the shrimp first. What would be the point?
Okay, but won't the tank cycle without the shrimp?
If, so, then why use the shrimp?
The point of using the shrimp is not to rush the cycle. It is to start the cycle. Ammonia has to be introduced. As the shrimp decays it produces ammonia.
I definitely would not cook the shrimp first. What would be the point?
Okay, but won't the tank cycle without the shrimp?
If, so, then why use the shrimp?
hagfish
Active Member
Originally Posted by reefrank
Okay, but won't the tank cycle without the shrimp?
If, so, then why use the shrimp?
I know you can't start the cycle without ammonia. So sure there are many ways to get ammonia in the tank. But I don't think it's possible to not introduce ammonia at some point. And if you or someone else is doing that I would bet that as livestock is added mini-cycle's occur.
Okay, but won't the tank cycle without the shrimp?
If, so, then why use the shrimp?
I know you can't start the cycle without ammonia. So sure there are many ways to get ammonia in the tank. But I don't think it's possible to not introduce ammonia at some point. And if you or someone else is doing that I would bet that as livestock is added mini-cycle's occur.
reefkprz
Active Member
it'll cycle but introducing ammonia causes a bigger cycle wich matures your tank better. any fish food or shrimp raw or cooked will work. you just need to introduce a small amount of "waste" to start your cycle. uncured live rock does great too. there are many ways to cycle and none of them are "wrong" persay. its all a matter of opinion and what has worked for each person. i just use fish food. since your going to be using it you might as well be breeding bactiria that can handle the food. unless your planning on breaking down shrimp all the time :thinking:
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by reefrank
It just absolutely amazes me at how many people want to rush into this hobby.... ad some damsels and chill or other inexpensive fish..
The point to the raw shrimp, or uncured live rock, is to avoid using "experimental" fish like damsels.
AS was stated above, to cycle a tank you need a source of ammonia. Either use a raw, uncooked shrimp, or use uncured live rock.
It just absolutely amazes me at how many people want to rush into this hobby.... ad some damsels and chill or other inexpensive fish..
The point to the raw shrimp, or uncured live rock, is to avoid using "experimental" fish like damsels.
AS was stated above, to cycle a tank you need a source of ammonia. Either use a raw, uncooked shrimp, or use uncured live rock.
chipmaker
Active Member
A tank will cycle perfectly fine usiing nnothing but liverock. No need in this world to use shrimp, live fish or cycle starter in a bottle. Anything that has some decay or dead matter to it is sufficient to start a cycle and live rock simply transported home from a LFS has sufficient die off ina short time to initaite a cycle. Once the ammonia and nitrite levels hit zero, a single fish can be added. Clean up crew can be added prior to fish without a problem if cycling with liverock, they can be added from the git go. Cycling with LR does not cause as high a spike of ammonia or nitrites so there fore water will not become as poluted, and nasty, nor will the higher spikes kill off more nice to have critters in and on the live rock. This cycle process is sort of blown out of proportion, Live rock in of itself is sufficient as is to do its job. YOu can take live rock that is fully cured from a tank, and place it in another and fill with water and fish and bump on..without a cycle, so having to create a major cycle is a crock of you know what. Only reason to really start a cycle is to neutralize any organic junk that is bound to decay and cause parameters to rise out of safe regions. Now, if there is pure clean sand, no junk in it, as well as home brew rocks, without any organic junk and yuou add water, there really is nothing to cycle, and adding shrimp is not gonna do much to start anything. However a fish can be added and do just fine in that pristine environment, and as it gives off waste it will start cycle of rock and sand, well not really buy it will add a bit of a load of ammonia which is then converted to nitrite, and it will not hurt that fish one bit. Why folks use a dead shrimp to cycle a tank is beyond me especially when they are usuing live rock as well..Its conter productive.
A tank cycled with live rock is just as substantial and stabil as one cycled with dead critters or live fish........
A tank cycled with live rock is just as substantial and stabil as one cycled with dead critters or live fish........
hagfish
Active Member
Originally Posted by chipmaker
However a fish can be added and do just fine in that pristine environment, and as it gives off waste it will start cycle of rock and sand, well not really buy it will add a bit of a load of ammonia which is then converted to nitrite, and it will not hurt that fish one bit. Why folks use a dead shrimp to cycle a tank is beyond me especially when they are usuing live rock as well..Its conter productive.
I think there is plenty of evidence that fish are hurt from experiencing cycles. Even damsels don't make it through cycles every time. Is it just coincidence when people lose fish during cycles? Even after a cycle it doesn't take much of a spike in ammonia and/or nitrite to cause other things to die.
And I see no way in which a dead shrimp is counter productive. Ammonia has to be introduced. And the shrimp will do that.
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by chipmaker
Anything that has some decay or dead matter to it is sufficient to start a cycle and live rock simply transported home from a LFS has sufficient die off ina short time to initaite a cycle. .......
How far are you driving?
Seriously... you are correct in saying that all you need is a little ammonia.
Now, here's the problem. How are you going to stock your tank? Are you going to add one small fish to start off. Then a few weeks later add another tiny fish? Of course not.
The Nitrogen cycle is well understood. You need ammonia to feed the ammonia fixing bacteria. The more food=more bacteria.
Uncured live rock works great. (but do check your levels and do water changes to keep ammonia under 1ppm). The reason it works so well, however, is because it has dying matter on/in it. As the cycle begins the uncured live rock will continue to produce ammonia that will continue to feed the bacteria.
If you were to cycle a tank with truly cured live rock you *might* have a small amount of die off, but not enough to feed the bacteria in your tank for a month...