Tossing in the shrimp

ashton1881 · 09/09/2011, 10:37 AM

About to start my biocube cycle process. I was going to use a shrimp, but the seafood section of my local Grocery Deli consists of one stand up glass door freezer and the only shrimp they have is "fully cooked individually frozen" shrimp. I don't eat shrimp, but my wife does so a package of these would not go to waste. I wouldn't think i should use one of these to kick start my cycle as I am not sure how or what with they were cooked and dont want to introduce anything to my tank that is not needed. So, if that is not ideal i am thinking of feeding my tank with some fish food. I have some New Life Spectrum Marine Formula fish food I purchased with an order that i was trying to get free shipping for...will dropping some of those pellets in there kick start my cycle or should i try and find a shrimp. I would think a shrimp would seed more bacteria than just a few tiny fish food pellets would. I am using 90% base rock and dry sand so i will not have much other die off.

so, use the frozen cooked shrimp or the fish food...other suggestions to use?

sporto0 · 09/09/2011, 11:07 AM

LOL, those fully cooked shrimp have just been steamed, they are fine to drop in your tank as well as delicious, your wife will thank you.

Ron Reefman · 09/09/2011, 01:52 PM

Forget the shrimp and just add some fish food, or a cube of frozen fish food. Anything that will rot and give off ammonia. We had a bottle of pure ammonia in the kitchen cabinet for cleaning so I just added it. If you do this, be sure it's 100% ammonia. Any additives will just contaminate the tank. BTW, the bigger the item that is rotting in your water, doesn't mean more bacteria faster. They have to multiply so just add some food every day until you see the ammonia level rise. After that, just monitor resultes. Given you have 90% base rock, you really want to take your time and ramp up your bio-load (new critters) slowly.
Good luck

angelofrapture · 09/09/2011, 02:49 PM

I would not use cooked shrimp, I'd think it would take longer to break down. Do they sell any raw seafood? You could use a clam, scallop, bit of calimari, probably even a chunk of fish.

That said, you don't have to use seafood. Putting some fish food (I'd use a big pinch) in there will work, or some people add straight (no additives) ammonia to the tank.

snorvich · 09/09/2011, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angelofrapture

I would not use cooked shrimp, I'd think it would take longer to break down. Do they sell any raw seafood? You could use a clam, scallop, bit of calimari, probably even a chunk of fish.

That said, you don't have to use seafood. Putting some fish food (I'd use a big pinch) in there will work, or some people add straight (no additives) ammonia to the tank.

Exactly. NLS pellets would work.

plasmacon · 09/09/2011, 07:10 PM

Any organic matter will break down, go to Petsmart and get one of their dead gold fish... Hehe! I bet they make you pay for it!

I personally use ammonium hydroxide, laboratory grade in water, basically a ten percent solution, and I just add a couple of teaspoons or so depending on the volume. It's easier than to just use a recipe than wait for stuff to decay. The more food (ammonia) you have, the faster your population will establish itself. Just make sure the ammonia you buy doesn't have any surfactants, detergents, colors, or sents added. Laboratory grade is much too expensive for most reefers, but I have access to it so that is what I use.

You can keep any culture going indefinitely this way. Salmonella for example, given the proper culture medium would grow to the size of the earth in 48 hours, in a perfect medium.

pmark · 09/09/2011, 07:38 PM

Can any fish food be used? I have some freshwater fish food from an older tank. I haven't even thought of purchasing fish yet so I don't have any reef foods. I'm assuming yes since it will just rot and produce ammonia.

ashton1881 · 09/09/2011, 08:10 PM

@angelofrapture they have frozen seafood. I live in the Delta of Arkansas...not exactly a big market for seafood unless you count crawfish when the season is right. The Wal-Mart supercenter here had a seafood section, but they remodeled and removed it, however if you were wanting pigs feet or other southern delicacy food it has a wide selection. That being said...@plasmacon's idea may work perfectly, the Wal-Mart always has dead fish in their tanks. Would I be frowned upon if I went and purchased a couple feeder goldfish and threw in my tank? I know "never cycle a tank with live fish" and I havent began to think about that until the "dead goldfish" suggestion. It is brutal, but those fish are raised to be food anyway and if that would work, I could do that.

So, what are thoughts on using feeder goldfish to cycle a new SW tank? Tell me how bad of a person i am for thinking about it first, but also let me know if that would work.

Palting · 09/09/2011, 08:36 PM

For some reason, I seem to think that the bacteria you want should come from the sea. Call me unreasonable, but hey, we are just talking about raw dead stuff, right?

So, get something that is dead and raw and that came from the sea. Obviously you won't look for Orca or Nemo, but maybe go to a Japanese restaurant and order sushi or sashimi and take home a piece of raw tuna/yellowtail/salmon from the sushi bar. Flakes will work,as will goldfish too, but where's the fun in that??

lin0501 · 09/09/2011, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmark

Can any fish food be used? I have some freshwater fish food from an older tank. I haven't even thought of purchasing fish yet so I don't have any reef foods. I'm assuming yes since it will just rot and produce ammonia.

I used some free samples I received with my order and there were freshwater packets along with saltwater ones.

ashton1881 · 09/10/2011, 11:28 PM

I think I may actually go to Wal-Mart and get the cheap "Marine Fish Food" can they sell for like $2. My question is now, how much/often do I need to feed the tank during the time I am cycling? Once my ammonia starts going up, how long should I continue to feed. I would assume if I kept feeding the ammonia would never start to go back down. Maybe I am over thinking stuff too much.

Thanks again for the help everyone.

09/09/2011, 10:37 AM	#1
ashton1881 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 58	Tossing in the shrimp About to start my biocube cycle process. I was going to use a shrimp, but the seafood section of my local Grocery Deli consists of one stand up glass door freezer and the only shrimp they have is "fully cooked individually frozen" shrimp. I don't eat shrimp, but my wife does so a package of these would not go to waste. I wouldn't think i should use one of these to kick start my cycle as I am not sure how or what with they were cooked and dont want to introduce anything to my tank that is not needed. So, if that is not ideal i am thinking of feeding my tank with some fish food. I have some New Life Spectrum Marine Formula fish food I purchased with an order that i was trying to get free shipping for...will dropping some of those pellets in there kick start my cycle or should i try and find a shrimp. I would think a shrimp would seed more bacteria than just a few tiny fish food pellets would. I am using 90% base rock and dry sand so i will not have much other die off. so, use the frozen cooked shrimp or the fish food...other suggestions to use?

09/09/2011, 01:52 PM	#3
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	Forget the shrimp and just add some fish food, or a cube of frozen fish food. Anything that will rot and give off ammonia. We had a bottle of pure ammonia in the kitchen cabinet for cleaning so I just added it. If you do this, be sure it's 100% ammonia. Any additives will just contaminate the tank. BTW, the bigger the item that is rotting in your water, doesn't mean more bacteria faster. They have to multiply so just add some food every day until you see the ammonia level rise. After that, just monitor resultes. Given you have 90% base rock, you really want to take your time and ramp up your bio-load (new critters) slowly. Good luck __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017 Last edited by Ron Reefman; 09/09/2011 at 01:57 PM.

09/09/2011, 07:10 PM	#6
plasmacon Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Western Kentucky Posts: 110	Any organic matter will break down, go to Petsmart and get one of their dead gold fish... Hehe! I bet they make you pay for it! I personally use ammonium hydroxide, laboratory grade in water, basically a ten percent solution, and I just add a couple of teaspoons or so depending on the volume. It's easier than to just use a recipe than wait for stuff to decay. The more food (ammonia) you have, the faster your population will establish itself. Just make sure the ammonia you buy doesn't have any surfactants, detergents, colors, or sents added. Laboratory grade is much too expensive for most reefers, but I have access to it so that is what I use. You can keep any culture going indefinitely this way. Salmonella for example, given the proper culture medium would grow to the size of the earth in 48 hours, in a perfect medium. __________________ Thanks Patrick Current Tank Info: 135 gallon Reef

09/09/2011, 08:36 PM	#9
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	For some reason, I seem to think that the bacteria you want should come from the sea. Call me unreasonable, but hey, we are just talking about raw dead stuff, right? So, get something that is dead and raw and that came from the sea. Obviously you won't look for Orca or Nemo, but maybe go to a Japanese restaurant and order sushi or sashimi and take home a piece of raw tuna/yellowtail/salmon from the sushi bar. Flakes will work,as will goldfish too, but where's the fun in that?? __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

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09/09/2011, 11:07 AM	#2
sporto0 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. Posts: 2,924	LOL, those fully cooked shrimp have just been steamed, they are fine to drop in your tank as well as delicious, your wife will thank you.

09/09/2011, 02:49 PM	#4
angelofrapture Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Livermore, CA Posts: 56	I would not use cooked shrimp, I'd think it would take longer to break down. Do they sell any raw seafood? You could use a clam, scallop, bit of calimari, probably even a chunk of fish. That said, you don't have to use seafood. Putting some fish food (I'd use a big pinch) in there will work, or some people add straight (no additives) ammonia to the tank.

09/09/2011, 07:38 PM	#7
pmark Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: NYC Posts: 170	Can any fish food be used? I have some freshwater fish food from an older tank. I haven't even thought of purchasing fish yet so I don't have any reef foods. I'm assuming yes since it will just rot and produce ammonia.

09/09/2011, 08:10 PM	#8
ashton1881 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 58	@angelofrapture they have frozen seafood. I live in the Delta of Arkansas...not exactly a big market for seafood unless you count crawfish when the season is right. The Wal-Mart supercenter here had a seafood section, but they remodeled and removed it, however if you were wanting pigs feet or other southern delicacy food it has a wide selection. That being said...@plasmacon's idea may work perfectly, the Wal-Mart always has dead fish in their tanks. Would I be frowned upon if I went and purchased a couple feeder goldfish and threw in my tank? I know "never cycle a tank with live fish" and I havent began to think about that until the "dead goldfish" suggestion. It is brutal, but those fish are raised to be food anyway and if that would work, I could do that. So, what are thoughts on using feeder goldfish to cycle a new SW tank? Tell me how bad of a person i am for thinking about it first, but also let me know if that would work.

09/10/2011, 11:28 PM	#11
ashton1881 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 58	I think I may actually go to Wal-Mart and get the cheap "Marine Fish Food" can they sell for like $2. My question is now, how much/often do I need to feed the tank during the time I am cycling? Once my ammonia starts going up, how long should I continue to feed. I would assume if I kept feeding the ammonia would never start to go back down. Maybe I am over thinking stuff too much. Thanks again for the help everyone.