Start over!! Quick question

Monster00101 · 09/21/2011, 10:24 PM

I lost my tanks due to evacuation. My rock has been dry for two months and I just started the tank again. I'm cycling with a table shrimp. Do I leave it in the whole time?

daplatapus · 09/21/2011, 10:27 PM

I believe you leave it in until you see ammonia. But I'm a newb too. You up there in Slave Lake? That was some fire.

Monster00101 · 09/21/2011, 11:25 PM

I was told that the bacteria needs constant supply of food. (ammonia). But I have also heard to take it out as well. Yeah fire was pretty crazy up here. Didn't lose my house but tanks had no power for two weeks.

daplatapus · 09/22/2011, 09:10 AM

From what I've read the dead rotting shrimp helps to speed up the cycle but after a bit the smell becomes too much for some people so they take it out but continue feeding the tank with fish flakes and such. Maybe someone else will chime in here....
HTH

Psirex · 09/22/2011, 09:16 AM

take it out before it disintegrates into mush, replace with new one or use flakes.

Monster00101 · 09/22/2011, 06:00 PM

K thanks. I put it in a small net to keep it from messing the tank. Do I take it out when I start to get a nitrite spike? Or wait till the whole cycle has finished?

Psirex · 09/22/2011, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monster00101

K thanks. I put it in a small net to keep it from messing the tank. Do I take it out when I start to get a nitrite spike? Or wait till the whole cycle has finished?

use a filter sock and take it out once you get a register for nitrite, nitrate and ammonia. I have never used this method so someone correct me if the info is bad.....

Palting · 09/22/2011, 07:07 PM

There are several opinions, and what you do depends on who you want to believe.

Take it out as soon as you see an ammonia spike, add livestock/CUC as soon as you see the ammonia and nitrite both hit zero. Pro: there is less ammonia produced, less to be processed, less nitrate spike, likely a shorter cycle. Con: less bacteria produced, less biological capacity at the start.

Leave the shrimp until it completely disappears, still add livestock/CUC when the ammonia and nitrite are zero. Pro: bigger bacteria population produced, larger biological capacity. Con: bigger spikes, longer cycle, higher nitrate level as well.

I have a 150 gal, set-up with all ive rock and all live sand. Put three large cocktail shrimp in a basket and left it until it disntegrated. I needed an immediate large biological capacity, since I had 11 fish including 4 tangs being treated in a separate hospital tank that were transferred as soon as the treatment was over. Worked for me. With all the liverock and livesand, there was NO spike at all. BTW, 3 large cocktail shrimp rotted completetely in a 150 gal saltwater tank set up to be a reef tank had no smell at all. Smelled like the ocean

.

09/21/2011, 10:24 PM	#1
Monster00101 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: alberta Posts: 858	Start over!! Quick question I lost my tanks due to evacuation. My rock has been dry for two months and I just started the tank again. I'm cycling with a table shrimp. Do I leave it in the whole time? __________________ Piece of mind is priceless

09/21/2011, 10:27 PM	#2
daplatapus Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Port Alberni, B.C., Canada Posts: 895	I believe you leave it in until you see ammonia. But I'm a newb too. You up there in Slave Lake? That was some fire. __________________ 130 lbs Tonga LR, GFO and Carbon reactors, Tunze ozmolator ATO, 2- 20 gal QT tanks, Current Tank Info: 80 gal display 48L X 24H X16D, 2 MP-40's, Odyssea 2-250W MH 4-HO T-5 Actinic's, 80 lbs Aragonite sand, 4 - 150W titanium heaters, Reeflo Baracuda return pump, 150gal sump, Filter Guys Reef Miser 6 stage + 1 Dual RO/DI, LifeReef 48" Skimmer

09/21/2011, 11:25 PM	#3
Monster00101 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: alberta Posts: 858	I was told that the bacteria needs constant supply of food. (ammonia). But I have also heard to take it out as well. Yeah fire was pretty crazy up here. Didn't lose my house but tanks had no power for two weeks. __________________ Piece of mind is priceless

09/22/2011, 09:10 AM	#4
daplatapus Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Port Alberni, B.C., Canada Posts: 895	From what I've read the dead rotting shrimp helps to speed up the cycle but after a bit the smell becomes too much for some people so they take it out but continue feeding the tank with fish flakes and such. Maybe someone else will chime in here.... HTH __________________ 130 lbs Tonga LR, GFO and Carbon reactors, Tunze ozmolator ATO, 2- 20 gal QT tanks, Current Tank Info: 80 gal display 48L X 24H X16D, 2 MP-40's, Odyssea 2-250W MH 4-HO T-5 Actinic's, 80 lbs Aragonite sand, 4 - 150W titanium heaters, Reeflo Baracuda return pump, 150gal sump, Filter Guys Reef Miser 6 stage + 1 Dual RO/DI, LifeReef 48" Skimmer

09/22/2011, 09:16 AM	#5
Psirex Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 1,934	take it out before it disintegrates into mush, replace with new one or use flakes. __________________ SALINITY NOW....

09/22/2011, 06:00 PM	#6
Monster00101 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: alberta Posts: 858	K thanks. I put it in a small net to keep it from messing the tank. Do I take it out when I start to get a nitrite spike? Or wait till the whole cycle has finished? __________________ Piece of mind is priceless

09/22/2011, 07:07 PM	#8
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	There are several opinions, and what you do depends on who you want to believe. Take it out as soon as you see an ammonia spike, add livestock/CUC as soon as you see the ammonia and nitrite both hit zero. Pro: there is less ammonia produced, less to be processed, less nitrate spike, likely a shorter cycle. Con: less bacteria produced, less biological capacity at the start. Leave the shrimp until it completely disappears, still add livestock/CUC when the ammonia and nitrite are zero. Pro: bigger bacteria population produced, larger biological capacity. Con: bigger spikes, longer cycle, higher nitrate level as well. I have a 150 gal, set-up with all ive rock and all live sand. Put three large cocktail shrimp in a basket and left it until it disntegrated. I needed an immediate large biological capacity, since I had 11 fish including 4 tangs being treated in a separate hospital tank that were transferred as soon as the treatment was over. Worked for me. With all the liverock and livesand, there was NO spike at all. BTW, 3 large cocktail shrimp rotted completetely in a 150 gal saltwater tank set up to be a reef tank had no smell at all. Smelled like the ocean . __________________ 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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