I have a question about using a cocktail shrimp to start my cycle.

mmync

mmync

Member
Hello, I am just starting the cycle on my new 180 gallon take and I have a couple of question. 1. How many shrimp should I use for this size tank. 2. When do I take the shrimp out or do I just leave it in there forever.
 
mmync

mmync

Member
Also, I just did my first ammonia test and all I have in the tank so far is crushed coral, some live sand and live rock and my ammonia is at 0.0 is this reading normal. If I am learning right, the reson why it is at 0.0 is because I havent put my cocktail fish or starter fish in yet so the cycle can start going and the ammonia can start rising.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
The reason is that so far you have nothing in your tank that will produce the ammonia...ie organic matter that sets off the nitrafication cycle. decaying matter, fish waste.
Thomas
 
T

thomas712

Guest
On my 90 I just put one large raw Prawn in last night, for me that should be plenty, for a 180 I would say 2 or 3 would be right. I hung mine by using some fishing line in the middle of the tank so that it was in the path of the spraybar that is in the top/back of my tank. After a couple of weeks there should be plenty of first stage bacteria that should be well established, and should be able to keep up with the amount of ammonia created by the dead prawn and changing it into nitrites. After 3-4 weeks your second stage bacteria will begin to proccess the nitrites into nitrates, and will build quickly, then all of the sudden your nitrites will drop and you should be able to check this with your test kits, After that you should have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and some nitrates. If you are still having a problem with the ammonia, and nitrites its time to take whatever is left of the prawn out. Some take them out early some let em rot. This is where you should add your first fish to keep the cycle going, that is the nitrafication cycle, that way your bacteria have somethng to process and stay healthy and can handle the bio load, as you slowly over the next few weeks add more fish, the bacteria will grow to keep up with that bio load.
Thomas
 
T

thomas712

Guest
All you need to do is go to any deli, supermarket, meat/produce store and ask for uncooked shrimp, I happen to use the large shrimp known as prawn. Yes they are dead and preped as in no claws, legs, or heads, just the meat and tail.
This is veiwed by many as a more humain way to cycle a tank, instead of putting anything live through the cycle of a new tank.]
Thomas
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top