1 week old tank ( when to expect Ammonia spike?)

jdthomas24 · 12/23/2009, 03:14 PM

The tank is 150 w/ 30 gallon sump.
170pds of dry rock and 15 pds of live rock. 120 pds of dry sand and 20 pds of live sand. Used Bioload and fritz turbo start. Tested ammonia for several days and nothing above .25

When should i expect an ammonia spike?

asl4me76 · 12/23/2009, 03:20 PM

When you drop a piece of shrimp in the tank and let it explode....

jdthomas24 · 12/23/2009, 03:23 PM

i thought about that from other posts... is it good to add cocktail shrimp to the tank even thoguh i added bio to it?

SkarfPa · 12/23/2009, 04:55 PM

a peice of shrimp will help it takes time its only been 1 week

kingfisher62 · 12/23/2009, 05:23 PM

Be patient my friend.

jdthomas24 · 12/23/2009, 07:17 PM

Kingfish, LOL, patience is not a good trait of mine but i was wondering. I figured i would have soem sort of spike by now. I am nto sure if i shold go ahead and do the shrimp thing or not. What do you guys/gals think about the shrimp addition? is it a good or bad method? i have a lot of dry rock so i figured that is why i havent gotten a spike yet but i wondered if i could get the bacteria going with soem cocktail shrimp w/o damaging the tank. Esp since i added some bio to it by bottle.

Jim96SC2 · 12/23/2009, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asl4me76

When you drop a piece of shrimp in the tank and let it explode....

Pretty much. Cocktail shrimp should run you about 45 cents and in about 2 weeks you'll be all cycled.

kingfisher62 · 12/23/2009, 11:02 PM

I have heard the shrimp trick does work though i never tried it myself. When I first started salt water I cycled my tank with a few damsels. That was before I knew better. although all my damsels made it thru the cycle I guess alot don't.
I say go for it ! The shrimp I mean!

cerobbins · 12/23/2009, 11:14 PM

just pee in the tank. then you'll have plenty of ammonia

lordofthereef · 12/24/2009, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdthomas24

patience is not a good trait of mine but i was wondering.

Not the best hobby for you then

I am half kidding, but seriously just take it slow. I say +1 on the shrimp. I have added a chunk of raw fish too. Whatever works. I see no real reason to go out and buy shrimp if you have fish, fish food, etc.

Chiefsurfer · 12/24/2009, 08:03 AM

+2 on the shrimp. ON a tank that size(150 gallons) having only 15 lbs of live rock, your natural ammonia spike from that much rock in that volume tank, MAY be 0.25. I would however want a bit more of a starter colony of bacteria.

jdthomas24 · 12/24/2009, 12:21 PM

ok, i have some fish and a few peices of shrimp. i think i may throw soem shrimp in there to see how it works. i will put two peices in maybe a bag so it doesnt get everywhere.

garzaci · 12/24/2009, 01:52 PM

I wouldn't worry about the shrimp going everywhere. Just drop it in and let it go to work. You can also put some fish food. It'll all do the same thing. Just be patient. This hobby progresses really slowly. Take this time to learn how to use your test kits and study your tank

MalIII · 12/24/2009, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdthomas24

The tank is 150 w/ 30 gallon sump.
170pds of dry rock and 15 pds of live rock. 120 pds of dry sand and 20 pds of live sand. Used Bioload and fritz turbo start. Tested ammonia for several days and nothing above .25

When should i expect an ammonia spike?

If you use a product called smart start you will not have any ammonia. I have started up tanks with Smart start, put in the fish the first day and no ammonia with almost instant cycle. It gets you to the brown stage in a 4-7 days. It is a special bacteria for start ups.

pimpman75 · 12/25/2009, 11:17 AM

in a few weeks u should have the spike. its very normal just use cycle and wait it out!

MalIII · 12/25/2009, 12:42 PM

The tank ammonia in the cycle is caused from the waist of the fish being released when there is not bacteria to process it. I recommend that you use black mollies to cycle with a bacteria product. The mollies are brackish fish and I have had the mollies live in the tank for a year and even have babies. You can get them at the store for about a buck. I do not like damsels, so I do not use them. The are problem fish and just too nasty.

The ammonia spike comes in the first couple days. As soon as bacteria is there, the it will taper off. You can use water changes to get rid of the ammonia.

csdavis · 12/25/2009, 04:39 PM

Yeah it take a little time, I do agree with the earlier post that this hobby will take a substantial amount of patience especially if you plan on getting serious about coral growth and propagation. I know it just sucks starting out but it is all worth it in the end. Another way I have seeing people cycle tanks in the past is to actually used some water from another tank that will help boost things quickly but obviously you would need to have a friend near that is doing a water change

. I got my nitrate spike in about 2 weeks when I first started.

12/23/2009, 03:14 PM	#1
jdthomas24 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Rockwall, Texas Posts: 852	1 week old tank ( when to expect Ammonia spike?) The tank is 150 w/ 30 gallon sump. 170pds of dry rock and 15 pds of live rock. 120 pds of dry sand and 20 pds of live sand. Used Bioload and fritz turbo start. Tested ammonia for several days and nothing above .25 When should i expect an ammonia spike?

12/23/2009, 05:23 PM	#5
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	Be patient my friend. __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

12/23/2009, 11:02 PM	#8
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	I have heard the shrimp trick does work though i never tried it myself. When I first started salt water I cycled my tank with a few damsels. That was before I knew better. although all my damsels made it thru the cycle I guess alot don't. I say go for it ! The shrimp I mean! __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

12/23/2009, 11:14 PM	#9
cerobbins Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NC Posts: 351	just pee in the tank. then you'll have plenty of ammonia __________________ ~ Chris Current Tank Info: 34g Solana

12/24/2009, 01:52 PM	#13
garzaci Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Richlands, NC Posts: 241	I wouldn't worry about the shrimp going everywhere. Just drop it in and let it go to work. You can also put some fish food. It'll all do the same thing. Just be patient. This hobby progresses really slowly. Take this time to learn how to use your test kits and study your tank __________________ Carlos No tank at all. Sold everything when I got stationed in Okinawa. Planning for when I return though. Current Tank Info: 20 gal reef tank

12/23/2009, 03:20 PM	#2
asl4me76 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Southeast Oklahoma Posts: 575	When you drop a piece of shrimp in the tank and let it explode....

12/23/2009, 03:23 PM	#3
jdthomas24 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Rockwall, Texas Posts: 852	i thought about that from other posts... is it good to add cocktail shrimp to the tank even thoguh i added bio to it?

12/23/2009, 04:55 PM	#4
SkarfPa Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: McAdoo,Pa Posts: 62	a peice of shrimp will help it takes time its only been 1 week

12/23/2009, 07:17 PM	#6
jdthomas24 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Rockwall, Texas Posts: 852	Kingfish, LOL, patience is not a good trait of mine but i was wondering. I figured i would have soem sort of spike by now. I am nto sure if i shold go ahead and do the shrimp thing or not. What do you guys/gals think about the shrimp addition? is it a good or bad method? i have a lot of dry rock so i figured that is why i havent gotten a spike yet but i wondered if i could get the bacteria going with soem cocktail shrimp w/o damaging the tank. Esp since i added some bio to it by bottle.

12/24/2009, 08:03 AM	#11
Chiefsurfer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seaside Park, NJ Posts: 2,138	+2 on the shrimp. ON a tank that size(150 gallons) having only 15 lbs of live rock, your natural ammonia spike from that much rock in that volume tank, MAY be 0.25. I would however want a bit more of a starter colony of bacteria.

12/24/2009, 12:21 PM	#12
jdthomas24 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Rockwall, Texas Posts: 852	ok, i have some fish and a few peices of shrimp. i think i may throw soem shrimp in there to see how it works. i will put two peices in maybe a bag so it doesnt get everywhere.

12/25/2009, 11:17 AM	#15
pimpman75 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Pembroke Pines, FL Posts: 52	in a few weeks u should have the spike. its very normal just use cycle and wait it out! __________________ THE REEF CHEIF.. Current Tank Info: 120 perfecto REEF TANK

12/25/2009, 12:42 PM	#16
MalIII Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 77	The tank ammonia in the cycle is caused from the waist of the fish being released when there is not bacteria to process it. I recommend that you use black mollies to cycle with a bacteria product. The mollies are brackish fish and I have had the mollies live in the tank for a year and even have babies. You can get them at the store for about a buck. I do not like damsels, so I do not use them. The are problem fish and just too nasty. The ammonia spike comes in the first couple days. As soon as bacteria is there, the it will taper off. You can use water changes to get rid of the ammonia.

12/25/2009, 04:39 PM	#17
csdavis Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 54	Yeah it take a little time, I do agree with the earlier post that this hobby will take a substantial amount of patience especially if you plan on getting serious about coral growth and propagation. I know it just sucks starting out but it is all worth it in the end. Another way I have seeing people cycle tanks in the past is to actually used some water from another tank that will help boost things quickly but obviously you would need to have a friend near that is doing a water change . I got my nitrate spike in about 2 weeks when I first started.