Cycle question with shrimp
- Thread starter phatcam
- Start date
rossim
Member
Use a raw cocktail shrimp to kick off the cycle. Keep it in until it starts to decompose in the water. After a couple days you should start seeing your algea levels going up. The entire cycle time can vary, but usually takes from 4-6 weeks.
In my opinion, the shrimp method is the quickest way to go.
In my opinion, the shrimp method is the quickest way to go.
dacia
Active Member
I use pure household ammonia (the clear kind with no additives) to cycle my tanks. Just add some to your water to cause the ammonia spike. Within a couple of days you will have a nitrite spike, and soon after that the cycle is complete. I have cycled all my tanks this way, both SW and FW including reef, and it has taken less than 2 weeks each time without harming any fish or stinking up your tank with a shrimp. All the above methods work, however, I am against subjecting live fish of any kind to a cycle. It is like pumping toxic waste into our own lungs. I also have had much faster results with bottled ammonia than with the shrimp. The shrimp decaying may take a week to produce the ammonia that I would have dumped into the tank on day 1...
Just my 2 cents.
Just my 2 cents.
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by alans
I've always used a few Mollies to cycle a tank, just take your time (4 hours or so) acclimating them to salt water. This way you at least have someting to watch during the process.
The point though is to cycle a tank without subjecting any pets to extreme/live threatening conditions.
I've always used a few Mollies to cycle a tank, just take your time (4 hours or so) acclimating them to salt water. This way you at least have someting to watch during the process.
The point though is to cycle a tank without subjecting any pets to extreme/live threatening conditions.
dacia
Active Member
There's really no set amount of ammonia to add. What I do is use the cap of the bottle to measure. I drop in one capful at a time until the test kit is maxxed out. For my 30 gallon tank, it took 3 capfuls.
I know it is not an exact science, but the capful method works nonetheless.
I know it is not an exact science, but the capful method works nonetheless.
alans
New Member
Originally Posted by Dacia
I use pure household ammonia (the clear kind with no additives) to cycle my tanks. Just add some to your water to cause the ammonia spike. Within a couple of days you will have a nitrite spike, and soon after that the cycle is complete. I have cycled all my tanks this way, both SW and FW including reef, and it has taken less than 2 weeks each time without harming any fish or stinking up your tank with a shrimp. All the above methods work, however, I am against subjecting live fish of any kind to a cycle. It is like pumping toxic waste into our own lungs. I also have had much faster results with bottled ammonia than with the shrimp. The shrimp decaying may take a week to produce the ammonia that I would have dumped into the tank on day 1...
Just my 2 cents.
You forgot to mention that the "Cow" method recommends ammonia be added every day to properly maintain the cycle. Otherwise, by the time you plop in your fish, the majority of the ammonia consuming bacteria have died off and your actually cycling your tank with live fish.
I use pure household ammonia (the clear kind with no additives) to cycle my tanks. Just add some to your water to cause the ammonia spike. Within a couple of days you will have a nitrite spike, and soon after that the cycle is complete. I have cycled all my tanks this way, both SW and FW including reef, and it has taken less than 2 weeks each time without harming any fish or stinking up your tank with a shrimp. All the above methods work, however, I am against subjecting live fish of any kind to a cycle. It is like pumping toxic waste into our own lungs. I also have had much faster results with bottled ammonia than with the shrimp. The shrimp decaying may take a week to produce the ammonia that I would have dumped into the tank on day 1...
Just my 2 cents.
You forgot to mention that the "Cow" method recommends ammonia be added every day to properly maintain the cycle. Otherwise, by the time you plop in your fish, the majority of the ammonia consuming bacteria have died off and your actually cycling your tank with live fish.