New Cycle, Raw Shrimp no Ammonia

[Aquageek450]

I just set up a new tank its a red sea reefer 250. I filled it with fresh saltwater and added live sand. I then added a piece of raw shrimp to spike the ammonia. Its been 4 days and the shrimp is really starting to decay and get fuzzy, but im not showing any ammonia yet. Should I just leave the shrimp in there longer? People online say that after 3 days or so I should see an ammonia spike. Thoughts?

 

[neilp2006]

How much live sand? It's possible it's already processing the ammonia into nitrite and nitrate. I'd check your nitrite and nitrates.




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[Aquageek450]

i used 2 20lb bags of Caribsea Special Grade.

Good point, i will check my nitrite and nitrate when I get home from work.

 

[mcgyvr]

Rock?
You made no mention of live or dry rock?

But yes to the above comment about the possibility of the live sand being live enough to process it quickly..
Kind of unlikely as typically live sand is mostly filled with dead/decomposing matter as its sat on a shelf somewhere.. but possible..
and if you used locally sourced live rock well then that most certainly can cause a no cycle condition..

But 4 days isn't that much either..

 

[Aquageek450]

Just tested all three again, still no ammonia, nitrate is between 10-25 on a salifert kit and nitrite is 0.

And no, I haven’t added any rock yet. I plan to add live rock from my other established tank once the tank has cycled.

If only you could see what this shrimp looks like, lol

 

[reefgeezer]

Did you start with artificial or natural salt water? If artificial, did you use RODI of tap water?

 

[Aquageek450]

Instant ocean with RODI water

 

[neilp2006]

Test your fresh saltwater for nitrate. I'm wondering if you have nitrates in your rodi.

But if not- I would dose ammonia for a confirmed input and check all three at 12 and 24 hours to confirm conversion




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[Aquageek450]

I did test the saltwater when I first filled the tank before adding the shrimp. There were not any nitrates then

 

[neilp2006]

In that case, I would dose ammonia using the hamzareef calculator (google) and see if you are really cycling.


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[mcgyvr]

Just tested all three again, still no ammonia, nitrate is between 10-25 on a salifert kit and nitrite is 0.

And no, I haven't added any rock yet. I plan to add live rock from my other established tank once the tank has cycled.

If only you could see what this shrimp looks like, lol

Why even cycle on its own if you intend to just put live rock in it?..
Just add the live rock now and start stocking the tank...no cycle needed...

 

[Aquageek450]

Everything I've been reading says that nitrates are the last step in the cycle.

Is there anything I can do to confirm that the ammonia spike did occur and the live sand absorbed it before it was able to read on the test kits?

 

[mcgyvr]

Everything I've been reading says that nitrates are the last step in the cycle.

Is there anything I can do to confirm that the ammonia spike did occur and the live sand absorbed it before it was able to read on the test kits?

Nitrates are the last step..

You can simply add ammonia to the tank and dose up to 1ppm or so and ensure that both ammonia and nitrite levels have returned to zero after 24 hours or so..
However.. That is going to just increase your nitrate level in the tank in the end and I don't see a point in doing anything like this if you just plan to add live rock to the tank. The live rock will contain all the needed bacteria and allow you to instantly start stocking the tank..
To me you are just doing unnecessary work as far as cycling for no reason and then needing to do more water changes to drop those nitrate levels caused by this cycle you didn't need to do.

 

[MarkW64]

Nitrates are the last step..

You can simply add ammonia to the tank and dose up to 1ppm or so and ensure that both ammonia and nitrite levels have returned to zero after 24 hours or so..
However.. That is going to just increase your nitrate level in the tank in the end and I don't see a point in doing anything like this if you just plan to add live rock to the tank. The live rock will contain all the needed bacteria and allow you to instantly start stocking the tank..
To me you are just doing unnecessary work as far as cycling for no reason and then needing to do more water changes to drop those nitrate levels caused by this cycle you didn't need to do.

Mcgyvr nailed it! All the simplified instructions about the need to "œcycle" all tanks frustrate me. The "œcycle" is the pattern we observe when more bioload (or waste, ammonia, etc.) is introduced than our biological filter can handle (quickly convert to nitrate). This pattern is elevated ammonia, followed by nitrite, then nitrate. In a tank with appropriate bacterial population present (live rock/sand), bioload can be added in reasonable amounts without any cycle being observed. The term "œcycle" is also used as a verb to describe what is do to a tank to establish the bacterial population when starting a tank with dead rock and sand. Since you started with live sand, and intend to move live rock presumably loaded with good bacteria from an existing system this does not apply to you. IMO you are unnecessarily worrying about cycling the tank before adding the rock. As Mcgyvr points out, is you add more ammonia now, you are only increasing your nitrate levels. Hope that helps "” good luck!

 

[mcgyvr]

Nitrates are the last step..

Well.. technically not but I think you get the point..