Nitrogen Cycle Issues

well, it's not much different in my tank. Just a little weirder
My tank is running for 2 weeks now. With about 40 pounds of rock. I have added amazing amounts of shrimp to it. just 3 at first, but nothing happened. So I added more. I think I had like 7 in there at one time. And the spikes were up to .25 in ammonia. And no nitrite at all. So I put 2 small green chromis in there and decided to just wait a while now.

 

[quote author=JohnO link=board=Newbie;num=1098569059;start=15#19 date=10/24/04 at 00:19:44]

John,

I think he wrote the tank was set up 1 week before adding the rock

John
[/quote]

I didn't see that in what he wrote in his 1st post John :-/from what I read it said.
"I added 25lbs of LR to my 25 gal tank about a week ago and have been taking readings of Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate every day"

And then he asks
"Are there any problems with how fast this nitrogen cycle went (about a week)." :-/

........................................................ John ;D

 

[quote author=birdlady link=board=Newbie;num=1098569059;start=15#15 date=10/23/04 at 20:22:09]  I am not trying to argue but  just adding my experience! [/quote]


No Problem birdlady I didn't take it that you were trying to argue ;D

That is what this forum is all about ;D Right? :-/
Adding your Experience ;D
...................................................................... John

 

OK Guys...thanks a ton for all of your help!  As I said before "I just wanted to let ya know that I had the 4" DSB (CaribSea Sugar/Select mix) in the tank for about a week before I put the LR"...I had the water/sand/pumps/heater and everything else going for a week before I added the LR!  I am just going to buy some more cocktail shrimp and throw them in and hopefully see a more pronounced spike!

Also, would you recommend adding more LR...I have 25 lbs in a 35 gal. tank right now...I have seen people with a much higher ratio!

What am I supposed to be looking for level wise for the Ammonia Spike, Nitrite Spike and final Nitrate level?

Thanks a lot...you guys have been very helpful!

-Mike

 

I hope that these articles are of some help

http://www.amdareef.com/ho_cycling.htm

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/aquainfo/cycling_your_tank1.html

About Tank Cycling
http://saltaquarium.about.com/library/blank/blsiteindexb.htm

As for the Live rock They say 2lbs per gallon is recommended.
But IMO I think with your DSB and 25lbs LR you will be ok. I only have 60lbs + in my 75gallon tank with a 4.5 inch sand bed. Hope this helps ............ John

 

OK everyone...as per our conversation, I added 2 Jumbo Shrimp to the tank this morning (10/24) and will be monitoring the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels throughout the next few weeks. I will definately keep you posted!

Thanks again,
Mike

 

I've been using the pure ammonia fishless cycle. There are a lot of articles about it online. It has worked perfectly on two different tanks. Just make sure you get 100% pure ammonia that has no perfumes etc. With this method you have complete control over the amount of ammonia in the tank. The colonies of bacteria can be grown to handle a full bio-load upon completion of the nitrogen cycle.

I'm not positive but I think most LFS that are keeping LR use ammonia to feed the LR so the bacteria stays active. [smiley=cool4.gif]

I have not tried the shrimp method, but I hear that it works as well. ;D

Drew

 

[quote author=fletch link=board=Newbie;num=1098569059;start=0#11 date=10/23/04 at 19:29:20]Well  that would make me wonder were all that bacteria came from in such a short time? [/quote]

John,

The bacteria ( Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter ) are everywhere in the form of spores, they are in the air, in the water, on your skin right now. They only need the right environment to grow. As in the analogy I used earlier about placing a tank in the Sahara desset, you don't have to worry about supplying the bacteria, all you need to supply is a suitable enviroment ( saltwater ) and food ( Ammona/Nitrite )

Try it for yourself. Make up some saltwater in a container and tip in some Ammonia ( even urine will do the trick ) and wait, soon you will see the Ammonia drop, and the subsequant levels of Nitrite and Nitrate.

John

 

John I do understand that John but it will take a while for the bacteria to grow and as I stated IMO that seems like a very short time for a tank to cycle

 

Well John, from what I have seen and also experienced you just can't put a number on things like the Nitrogen Cycle. If you give the bacteria a good environment to grow they will do so very quickly, if the environment is not quite as good it takes longer.

Because you can't actually measure the amount or number of bacteria and if they are 'happy' you need to trust the fact that the presence and then drop in Ammonia and then Nitrite is evidence enough that bacteria are there in numbers to handle the Nitrogen Cycle.

John