First time cycling need guide.

[chiro]

Hello i just started cycling my 30 gallon tank few hours ago using api quickstart as my nitrifying bacteria. I put a small dead shrimp in my filter for 48 hours to spread ammonia and removed it after. Did i generate enough ammonia with that amount of time and shrimp size after pouring nitrifying bacteria?

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

#WelcometoR2R

Impossible to tell how much ammonia the shrimp produced without measuring it

You should get a test kit for ammonia (and nitrate, but not nitrite), you want to get the ammonia up to about 2.0 ppm and then watch for it to come down to nearly zero in a few weeks. I think you'd be fine to put the shrimp back in and let it go, honestly.

Good luck!

 

[chiro]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

#WelcometoR2R

Impossible to tell how much ammonia the shrimp produced without measuring it

You should get a test kit for ammonia (and nitrate, but not nitrite), you want to get the ammonia up to about 2.0 ppm and then watch for it to come down to nearly zero in a few weeks. I think you'd be fine to put the shrimp back in and let it go, honestly.

Good luck!

Thanks! is it okay to use a piece of pellet or flakes as ammonia source instead?

 

[Peer.Boerner]

You can also use concentrated nitrifying bacteria like Fritz Turbo Start 900. I was skeptical and about to take the same approach as you. But I tried the Fritz Turbo start and was able to add a clown a few days (not weeks) later. Apparently the fish is required to provide ammonia to keep the bacteria alive. Just a suggestion. Best of luck!!

 

[KrisReef]

Thanks! is it okay to use a piece of pellet or flakes as ammonia source instead?

Yes you can. But since you added the bacteria and the shrimp you can be certain that they provided the necessary inoculation of bacteria that will grow and cycle the tank in due time. The microbes are competent at this, and the tank will cycle in three weeks or less without help, they just do their thing.

The problem we have is that we really can’t see the difference, but we know how they live and work in a new system. Light ghost feeding, and time wet and then you’re ready to slowly add fishes.

Planning a stocking order and not overwhelming the new system is the next step, but “waiting is the hardest part.”