Why add shrimp to cycle?

[snakeblitz33]

Hello all,...
Question: If the live rock we have added to our tanks contains a variety of decaying organisms on and within the rocks, why do we need to add to the decomposition by adding a shrimp? Isn't there enough dead organisms on the live rock to get things going as they should?
Lets say a tank has 100% live rock, and another tank has 5% live and 95% dry base rock... does the tank with less live rock actually need a source of ammonia, whereas the tank with 100% live rock doesn't need additional ammonia? I'm just thinking out loud here.
What if we were to ghost feed the tank until ammonia and nitrite are zero, instead of adding a chunk of shrimp at first and then waiting for ammonia to go down? Wouldn't it make more sense to feed a little at a time - since that is what you will be doing when you get a fish anyways?? I'm sorry for my ignorance, but someone please explain this to me.

 

[btldreef]

I believe, and it's worked for me, if there is any amount of live rock, the shrimp or ghost feed isn't needed.

 

[spanko]

We know we can influence the tanks ability to handle the amount of available ammonianitritesand nitrates by increasing the colonies of bacteria to utilize them. (to a certain level that is) so yes I do believe that increasing the amount of food will increase the handling capacity of the tank.
The eventuality is that you not only want to feed the tank literally, but you also want to introduce critters that will also introduce "food" into the system.

 

[beaslbob]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/394558/why-add-shrimp-to-cycle#post_3511788
Hello all,...
Question: If the live rock we have added to our tanks contains a variety of decaying organisms on and within the rocks, why do we need to add to the decomposition by adding a shrimp? Isn't there enough dead organisms on the live rock to get things going as they should?
Lets say a tank has 100% live rock, and another tank has 5% live and 95% dry base rock... does the tank with less live rock actually need a source of ammonia, whereas the tank with 100% live rock doesn't need additional ammonia? I'm just thinking out loud here.
What if we were to ghost feed the tank until ammonia and nitrite are zero, instead of adding a chunk of shrimp at first and then waiting for ammonia to go down? Wouldn't it make more sense to feed a little at a time - since that is what you will be doing when you get a fish anyways?? I'm sorry for my ignorance, but someone please explain this to me.
I give up. WHY? LOL
With enough algae macros, algae turf scrubber, algae on rocks and so on, and assuming no aerobic bacteria,
there will be no ammonia spike anyway. Then as aerobic bacteria build up and consume the ammonia, the algae will use nitrates for nitrogen.
So the tank will cycle with no ammonia spikes.
So no need to add the shrimp. I just a molly to get things going. Once the molly has lived a few weeks then introduce the marine fish.
my .02