Finished Cycle...

[sanderson2]

Hey - Looking for some quick input.

I just finished my cycle with base rock - dead sand and a dead shrimp. I have it sitting in a stocking right now attached to a rock. Has a big puffy clear glob on it - assuming that's bacteria.

My question is - I don't have lights running on this tank yet. It will be atleast a week or so before they arrive and are set up. Should I leave the shrimp in there to continue to feed the bacteria?

Or should I take it out and just feed a couple pieces of dry fish food to keep them fed?

Also - should I do a water change now or do it before I mount the lights and add some snails and crabs?

Thanks any for your advice.

 

[acabgd]

You should get a test kit to measure ammonia, nitrites and nitrites. Only then will you know if you can take out the shrimp. No need for lights, actually not recommended to run lights as they will only promote algae growth while cycling. No water changes while cycling. Read the sticky posts at the top of the New to the hobby forum!

 

[Pife]

How do you know you cycle is over.?

 

[potatocouch]

When Ammonia & Nitrite have dropped and you are left with Nitrate which you can only reduce by doing WC.

 

[kw22]

when ammonia & nitrite have dropped and you are left with nitrate which you can only reduce by doing wc.

+1

 

[FDdragon]

if your cycle is done then your nitrates should be high. do a water change now.

but as others have mentioned, how do you know the cycle is done?

 

[sanderson2]

Ha sorry about that one. Should have known that would happen. The nitrogen cycle isnt in question. Tanks been running for around a month and a half now. pH has hung around 8.0 - 8.1 for the entire cycle. Ammonia spiked and is now at 0 - nitrites spiked and were high for around a week and a half but they've been 0 for the last few days. Nitrates are around 40 - 60 ppm. That's with an API test kit and I don't think they're that accurate for anything so I'll probably change a total of 60 gallons in two water changes over the next week.

My question may have been unclear.

If I didnt do anything at this point - and don't add any CUC then should I leave that shrimp in so the bacteria can eat and stay alive or should I take it out and just feed a smaller amount of fish food to keep them alive? Can I take everything out and expect the bacteria to live for a few weeks without anything.

Assuming that once they've populated the tank, then the shrimp that's sitting there is just making excess waste (and eventually more phosphate/nitrates than is necessary)... so if I can take it out and just give them some fish food every day or two days and reduce the amount of rotting shrimp in the tank - that'd probably be a good thing.

 

[thegrun]

I would remove the shrimp and add a small pinch of dry flake fish food every other day. I would also make a very large water change, close to 100% to reduce your nitrates.

 

[sanderson2]

Thanks for the input. I'll take the shrimp out and start mixing saltwater now.