How To Cycle My QT

kevin34

kevin34

Active Member
I am setting up my QT and I was wondering what the best way to cycle it will be. I was thinking of useing the raw shrimp method. How does that work? Put the shrimp in, the the levels spike, and once they come back down you can take out the shrimp? And also if you cycle the tank once (and never drain it) will it stay cycled for good?
 
keith burn

keith burn

Active Member
Originally Posted by Kevin34 http:///forum/post/2602469
I am setting up my QT and I was wondering what the best way to cycle it will be. I was thinking of useing the raw shrimp method. How does that work? Put the shrimp in, the the levels spike, and once they come back down you can take out the shrimp? And also if you cycle the tank once (and never drain it) will it stay cycled for good?
What is your dt reef/fowlr?
The raw shrimp method is you put in a small raw shrimp in the tank. (50 to 100 count).Look at this
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/116184/saltwater-aquariums-101-the-cycle
Now . . . add a RAW, peeled shrimp. Drop it in the tank and let it sit there. As the shrimp decomposes it will add ammonia to the system to jump start the nitrogen cycle. You could accomplish the same goal by feeding the tank as if there were fish in it, you would also accomplish the same goal by adding some hardy fish but you take a gamble with that approach. You stress the fish which can lead to ICH, possibly kill them, wasting money. Why bother with that when a raw shrimp will work just as well.
 
E

enigma1388

Guest
adding fish is cruel. I would not recomend this method.
and it's horrible advice to give to someone!
 
keith burn

keith burn

Active Member
Originally Posted by enigma1388
http:///forum/post/2602520
adding fish is cruel. I would not recomend this method.
and it's horrible advice to give to someone!
how horrble it is not to read.
You could accomplish the same goal by feeding the tank (((((as if there were fish
)) in it, you would also accomplish the same goal by adding some hardy fish (((((but you take a gamble with that approach
)). You stress the fish which can lead to ICH, possibly kill them, wasting money. ((((((Why bother with that when a raw shrimp will work just as well
.
I did not give the advice READ...
 
kevin34

kevin34

Active Member
Originally Posted by keith burn http:///forum/post/2602512
What is your dt reef/fowlr?
The raw shrimp method is you put in a small raw shrimp in the tank. (50 to 100 count).Look at this
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/116184/saltwater-aquariums-101-the-cycle
Now . . . add a RAW, peeled shrimp. Drop it in the tank and let it sit there. As the shrimp decomposes it will add ammonia to the system to jump start the nitrogen cycle. You could accomplish the same goal by feeding the tank as if there were fish in it, you would also accomplish the same goal by adding some hardy fish but you take a gamble with that approach. You stress the fish which can lead to ICH, possibly kill them, wasting money. Why bother with that when a raw shrimp will work just as well.
Right now the DT only has LR in it but its going to be a reef tank. So one peeled shrimp will get the job done? And will the tank stay cycled for good? Its a QT so will not always having a fish in it have an effect on this at all?
 
E

enigma1388

Guest
put a small piece of LR in there and it should stay cycled for good even without the LR but the LR would give your fish something to hide behind and things like that.
and why even mention it if you know its something seriously looked down at?
 
keith burn

keith burn

Active Member
Originally Posted by Kevin34
http:///forum/post/2602537
Right now the DT only has LR in it but its going to be a reef tank. So one peeled shrimp will get the job done? And will the tank stay cycled for good? Its a QT so will not always having a fish in it have an effect on this at all?
yes
You can move s/w from the dt and use l/r in it now to get it going.
After it is cycled you remove l/r.Move s/w from d/t to the q/t at the time you do w/c in the d/t.And weekley with fish in it you need to q/t.
What size is d/t and q/t tank?
 
keith burn

keith burn

Active Member
Originally Posted by enigma1388
http:///forum/post/2602546
and why even mention it if you know its something seriously looked down at?
We all see and hear what to do.If no one is told it is not a good way to cycle a tank thay may try.So by saying you can but it is not good to do he will know.
Thanks for the question. And not the
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by Kevin34
http:///forum/post/2602469
I am setting up my QT and I was wondering what the best way to cycle it will be. I was thinking of useing the raw shrimp method. How does that work? Put the shrimp in, the the levels spike, and once they come back down you can take out the shrimp? And also if you cycle the tank once (and never drain it) will it stay cycled for good?
You can use a shrimp, or a piece of LR. The tank will not stay cycled. When there are no fish in it you will have to ghost feed it. That is, add a small amount of fish food every once in awhile. The food breaks down to ammonia and feeds the bacteria.
 
kevin34

kevin34

Active Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2602686
You can use a shrimp, or a piece of LR. The tank will not stay cycled. When there are no fish in it you will have to ghost feed it. That is, add a small amount of fish food every once in awhile. The food breaks down to ammonia and feeds the bacteria.
Wont live rock only cycle the tank if its uncured? How many shrimp should I use? Will the kind you buy frozen at a grocery store work? My DT is a 125 and the QT is a 40g hex.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by Kevin34
http:///forum/post/2602861
Wont live rock only cycle the tank if its uncured? How many shrimp should I use? Will the kind you buy frozen at a grocery store work? My DT is a 125 and the QT is a 40g hex.
The bacteria from the rock spreads out in the tank and attaches to other surfaces. You can use a shrimp from the grocery store. Let it spike to 1ppm then pull the shrimp out and let it finish cycling.
 
metweezer

metweezer

Active Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2602865
The bacteria from the rock spreads out in the tank and attaches to other surfaces. You can use a shrimp from the grocery store. Let it spike to 1ppm then pull the shrimp out and let it finish cycling.
Sep,
What if there is no LR in the QT? As you may remember I broke down my QT because I had high trates and 20 lbs. of LS in it. I started over by cleaning everything out and only have pvc in there now. I used the raw shrimp and removed it after I had my amonia spike. Since there is no LR or LS in there, what makes the cycle continue? I currently have no amonia and about 1 ppm of trites. Tank continues to cycle, but why
What is making the amonia to trites to trates cycle?
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by metweezer
http:///forum/post/2603526
Sep,
What if there is no LR in the QT? As you may remember I broke down my QT because I had high trates and 20 lbs. of LS in it. I started over by cleaning everything out and only have pvc in there now. I used the raw shrimp and removed it after I had my amonia spike. Since there is no LR or LS in there, what makes the cycle continue? I currently have no amonia and about 1 ppm of trites. Tank continues to cycle, but why
What is making the amonia to trites to trates cycle?
All bodies of water have some bacteria in it. The bacteria will colonize on the surfaces of the tank and in the filter. When you add a piece of rock to cycle the tank, you are adding more bacteria. Once the bacteria has colonized on the other surfaces, you take the rock back out. Basically all you are doing is providing more bacteria when you add the rock. The same goal will be accomplished without the rock, it just takes longer.
 
bgbdwlf2500

bgbdwlf2500

Member
Originally Posted by Kevin34
http:///forum/post/2619988
Is there anything I can use to cycle a tank besides shrimp or a live fish?
cured live rock, any dead fish will get the cycle going...wouldnt use a fish that died from ich or something like that though....
 
lilzeus99

lilzeus99

Member
This is my first post here, and I'm in the collection stages of setting up a tank.
How long should you let the raw shrimp sit in the water before taking it out? Once the amonia and nitrates fall and nitrates start going up or when?
Thanks.. I have been reading a lot here and everyone is so helpfull.
Shane
 
kevin34

kevin34

Active Member
Well I put the shrimp in. let the ammonia spike to about 1-1.25, took the shrimp out and now about 2 weeks later the ammonia still hasnt come down. Shouldnt the cycle be towards the end now?
 
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