Need Help With Cycling

[justanewguy]

Hello everyone,

I bought a Evo 13.5. Stocked it with dry sand & rock, and the filter I got was from a used tank (I bought the unit self used too). On Monday, June 14th, I added a raw shrimp to start the ammonia to kick off the nitrogen cycle. It didn’t really reach a high level (highest was 0.5ppm), but I knew it was enough to add a bacteria (seachem stability). So I removed the shrimp on Tuesday and kept trying. On Wednesday, I noticed my ammonia and nitrite was around 1.0ppm, and I continued using the seachem stability as indicated on the label. However, I was concerned about the ammonia level so I added two new raw shrimps on Thursday. Now, waking up Friday, I noticed a bacteria bloom. Tested my levels and they were: 1.0 ppm ammonia, 1.0ppm nitrite and 10ppm nitrate. I feel like I messed up, and i have no clue what cycle my tank is heading in. I’m doing it fish-less so I’m not worried about that. Thank you for the help.

 

[brandon429]

All you need is this: wait a total of two weeks in current condition, remove shrimp change water you’re cycled


its no longer about degrading the shrimp in tank and making the wastewater perfect to deem the cycle ready


in 2021 we know that stew above is laying down bac and if you just change it all out for clean after a reasonable wait period, what’s left behind is the same degree of bacteria there’d be if you wait for the whole thing to slowly self clear, but that will take much longer than our timed start option. Our way is timely and specific and always works. Your test params in the lead up don’t matter, the # of days underwater are what matters.


there is not any reef that wouldnt be cycled in the above arrangement, regardless of if you test or not. Source for claims: our thirty page testless reef cycling thread. We r also waiting four days longer than the ammonia line on a cycling chart shows in the above way.

 

[Cell]

1/2 shrimp would be sufficient. Leave it in the tank and let it decompose. Don't mess with it. I don't think Stability is going to speed up your cycle. If you aren't going to use bottled bac, then your timeline will be approximately 4 weeks.

 

[Azedenkae]

Hello everyone,

I bought a Evo 13.5. Stocked it with dry sand & rock, and the filter I got was from a used tank (I bought the unit self used too). On Monday, June 14th, I added a raw shrimp to start the ammonia to kick off the nitrogen cycle. It didn’t really reach a high level (highest was 0.5ppm), but I knew it was enough to add a bacteria (seachem stability). So I removed the shrimp on Tuesday and kept trying. On Wednesday, I noticed my ammonia and nitrite was around 1.0ppm, and I continued using the seachem stability as indicated on the label. However, I was concerned about the ammonia level so I added two new raw shrimps on Thursday. Now, waking up Friday, I noticed a bacteria bloom. Tested my levels and they were: 1.0 ppm ammonia, 1.0ppm nitrite and 10ppm nitrate. I feel like I messed up, and i have no clue what cycle my tank is heading in. I’m doing it fish-less so I’m not worried about that. Thank you for the help.

The main issue with shrimp is that it can kinda make it hard to track the cycle, given different sizes of shrimp, rates of decomposition, etc.

Shrimp can also introduce heterotrophic microbes that just consumes ammonia for growth, rather than respiration, which is not quite what we want and can result in seeing a decrease in ammonia without necessarily any change to nitrite or nitrate concentrations, the latter is what we'd want to see for nitrification. There is a nitrite measurement, so at least some nitrification is going on (probably).

If you want to keep on going with the shrimp method, it's fine. What I'd suggest is leave the shrimp in for a few more days before taking them out, don't worry too much about bacterial blooms or anything and let it be. Otherwise there's also ammonium chloride dosing, which is a lot easier to trace the cycle.

 

[justanewguy]

The main issue with shrimp is that it can kinda make it hard to track the cycle, given different sizes of shrimp, rates of decomposition, etc.

Shrimp can also introduce heterotrophic microbes that just consumes ammonia for growth, rather than respiration, which is not quite what we want and can result in seeing a decrease in ammonia without necessarily any change to nitrite or nitrate concentrations, the latter is what we'd want to see for nitrification. There is a nitrite measurement, so at least some nitrification is going on (probably).

If you want to keep on going with the shrimp method, it's fine. What I'd suggest is leave the shrimp in for a few more days before taking them out, don't worry too much about bacterial blooms or anything and let it be. Otherwise there's also ammonium chloride dosing, which is a lot easier to trace the cycle.

Thank you! Sorry I’m on my phone app so the formatting is a bit hard. I wanted to ask you one more thing: does salt creep up indicate a leakage in the tank? Or is it normal to an extent?

 

[Azedenkae]

Thank you! Sorry I’m on my phone app so the formatting is a bit hard. I wanted to ask you one more thing: does salt creep up indicate a leakage in the tank? Or is it normal to an extent?

It's normal to an extent, yeah. I get salt creep like everywhere. XD

 

[justanewguy]

It's normal to an extent, yeah. I get salt creep like everywhere. XD

Thank you! Do you know what can cause whiteish-greenish buildup on the glass of the tank?

 

[Azedenkae]

Thank you! Do you know what can cause whiteish-greenish buildup on the glass of the tank?

Sounds like a combination of algae and bacteria, which is probably quite normal.

Did you start with live rock or dry rock?

 

[Garf]

Welcome.

There are theoretical reasons as to why your tank is not officially cycled. However, it may be of no consequence and if you wait a few weeks, adding livestock slowly is probably fine. A seachem ammonia badge will bring peace of mind.