more shrimp to force cycle?

Hi all,
I started my cycle in my bb 40g fuge Tue. 4/26 with a shrimp, 3lb lr, and 10lb dry rock (soaked) I had from a yr ago, I have my 16g sump running with oct ext 200 skimmer on. My 2x 25w 6500k grow bulbs over the fuge were on 24/7 till fri pm as I saw a growth of green and red hair algea barely start, a short sprig here and there and really had to look hard, now there on for 1hr a day.
A super small amount of die off ( size of 1/2 dollar ) on the lr became present at day 3, now seems that is coming back and coralline is speading to the dry rock, suppose that means benificial bacteria is too.
My skimmer is pulling some funk- doesed pickling lime and kent coral builder/ kh buffer prior to the start off cycle to bring levels into check, also using tropic marin bio actif salt.
I left 1 shrimp in for 72 hrs till it was mush then pulled it out, at that point I blew all the decaying pieces into the bulk head where I have a sock over the pipe that runs into the the return section of the sump. I also fed a small portion of flake food Fri. just trying to see a spike. The sock is still currently full of the decaying shrimp I blew off so its not like I took it out all together, it's still decaying just a lesser amount.
My question is where am I at in the cycle and should I throw another shrimp or two in to force the cycle or see if thats absorbed by the bacteria already in there? I'm not seeing any spike in ammonia or it's hard to tell if I am using the api test kit, the color chart doesn't match the sample at all and the sample has changed very little if any from day two. I'm seeing a level of .02mg/l for the nitite and < .1 nitate using tropic marin kits. Phoshates are through the roof at 2.0 mg/l which if I read correctly could mean there still chemically bound and cycle hasn't started yet, salinity is .025 and temp is 76.5f.
It just seems to me I would have seen something by now hence the question of more shrimp since not much die off from LR.
Help please!!!

 

Only 5 days since you initiated the cycle, I would give it much more time.

I would give it more time and just not add anything more to the tank, just let it cycle, it will do it all on it's own without further intervention.

I would be much more concerned as to why you have a high phosphate level. You are going to have a significant algae issue once the tank hits the end of the cycle.

 

What would you suggest? Go get some gfo and add it to my media reactor built in to the sump? I'm using ro/di water from my unit and tds is at 0.

 

Yes good idea, some gfo or phosban or equivalent.

Phosphate of 2.0 ppm is not exceptionally bad, but once it get looked into algae you are going to have more difficult time removing it. Try to aim for 0.05 ppm and figure out where you are getting the phosphates from.

But at this time I would not worry about the cycle. You added something to provide a source of decay, you have substrate for the nutrifying bacteria to grow on, nature will take it's course. Just keep testing routinely so you get a window into the cycle. I have started tanks with addition of nothing but dry rock and sand and had a cycled tank in 8 weeks, yes it took a little longer.

 

Thanks Corailline, I'll have to go get some monday as the two lfs are closed today. All I can figure is it's coming from the dry rock although I soaked it and did 2 water changes over 4 days time, I tested it and didn't see any. Not unless the salt has phosphate in it? I will test it to see.
Thanks again

 

its started i find it usually takes a week or so for anything to happin its showing signs like coralline sead . about 2-3wees in you will see a spike of nitrites means your about 2 weeks away i usually will throw a second piece at that time to feed what has been growing it will usually start a smaller recycle but it will last alot shorter time as the bacteria has gained its strength witch is what you are after anyways

everyone dose it a bit diffrent i have learned to be super paitiont big plus of that it gives me time to regroup my funds for livestock

 

Thanks gt404425hp

I tested the salt and the levels are less than .01, has to be the rock as the source of phosphates. I am patient I just thought that at day 5 and decaying meat I would have seen some sorta higher reading in the ammonia levels.
Thanks again for the help and letting me know I'm all good except that darn dry rock!!!
I guess I will face that again when I put the 100# of dry rock and dry sand in the DT and bring it on line. Oh well, I will be ready for it this time.

 

I have a 90 gal that I am cycling, I had put 3 shrimps in to start the cycle and ammonia only got to 3ppm. I added 3 more and ammonia hit 5ppm then my nitrite started climbing.. From the reading Ive done you want ammonia to hit 5ppm to get a good cycle started.. I pulled all my shrimp out Sat morning and by sunday morning ammonia was at 0ppm and nitrite was down to .5 with nitrate climbing to 80.. Maybe add more shrimp to get a bigger ammonia spike.. Im gonna hit HD or Lowes and get some pure ammonia to dose the tank with now to make sure it gets rid of it within 24hrs so i know my cycle is done..

Shane.

 

i didnt see any pure ammonia at HD. i got some from Ace Hardware. it is 10% ammonia and i poured enough to get 5ppm ammonia on my cycle for 180g. my cycle was done in 2 weeks and i gave it another week before adding any fish.

if your ammonia got to 5 and is now 0, with nitrite 0 too, you are done. i wouldnt waste time and money on buying more ammonia. usually it is the nitrite that takes awhile for it to go down to zero.

 

I looked everywhere for some ammonia and couldnt find any at all, tried HD, Lowes,Home Hardware,shoppers drug mart,zellers. I even called Anchem chemicals and they dont have it. So I just added some food to give me some ammonia.. I just want to be sure the cycle is done. I added some chaeto to my sump and my nitrates have dropped to 10.. I had .25 ammonia last night with no nitrite, I will check when I get home again today and if ammonia is at 0, nitrite0 then its time to get my porcupine puffer into his new home.

Shane.