Invert in Cycle?

[TheWackyWiz]

Hi All,

I've got my nano macro algea tank up and running. I used live sand, a mix of cured live rock and dry live rock from my LFS and dosed with Fritz-zyme turbo start. I've always done fishless cycles but I was wondering if it's possible/advisable to try an invert in cycle as a way to maintain the right level of Ammonia?

It's a 10g standard tank and with fishfood and some of the microflora/fauna from the live rock dying out the Ammonia is hovering right at .25ppm.

My thought is introducing some hermits and snails and feeding them algae wafers would introduce a more stable source of ammonia. I would ofcourse be monitoring it very closely and doing weekly wc's to make sure the level doesn't get too high.

What do you think?

 

[besskurz]

I don't think that inverts would create that spike of amnonia to trigger the cycle.

For how long you are hovering at 0.25 am? Cuz I would expect an spike to 4ppm or so. Are you measuring NO2 and NO3?

I do fishless and I add inverts / hermits when diatoms started to show up after several weeks.

 

[Tired]

You don't need an additional ammonia source. With ocean live rock, as soon as the die-off stops, your tank is cycled.

Your goal right now shouldn't be to have ammonia, it should be to have 0 ammonia, to preserve whatever life is still on the rocks. Stop feeding, start doing water changes.