Keeping It Cycled For Fish

[soritan]

I think my tank is done cycling. It's a 10gal tank, fairly heavily planted, with bogwood. After I treat for hydra, I'll be adding 5-6 ghost shrimps.

However, they're not the only tennants I expect to put in there. In the future, I expect to add at least three other fish in the tank (dwaf puffers, betta, corydoras, adfs... at this point i'm flipping coins, it's part of the delay). Because I intend to add other fish, and because ghost shrimp don't really contribute too much to the bioload, I think that I'll probably have to continue to add ammonia to keep it cycled. Or am I daft?

 

[scarecro52]

Morning Soritan

I would advise that you continue to add your biological aquarium supplement for your filter. Most of them contain nitrosomonas and nitrobacter that work together with other beneficial strains to eliminate ammonia peaks and continuous use will assure you an active biological filter, cleaner aquarium, healthier fish and good water quality.

Any more questions, just click below

Brett@first-choice-aquatics.com

 

[soritan]

...uhn, I'm adding ammonia, not "biological aquarium supplement", which has differing effects than what you have described....

 

[scarecro52]

...uhn, I'm adding ammonia, not "biological aquarium supplement", which has differing effects than what you have described....

If your adding Ammonia though and the tank doesn't cycle through fast enough, the Ammonia Levels will peak and could potentially cause Ammonia Poisoning to the fish and killing them. In extreme cases it could crash the cycle! I would advise against continuing with the ammonia and move onto a biological filter aid such as Hagen Cycle or API Stress Zyme.

Brett@first-choice-aquatics.com

 

[soritan]

Uhm... wait.

I did a fishless cycle. The tank is completely empty AND it's fully cycled.

I hate to seem rude, but you seem as though you are here mainly to advertise your website.

 

[scarecro52]

Uhm... wait.

I did a fishless cycle. The tank is completely empty AND it's fully cycled.

I hate to seem rude, but you seem as though you are here mainly to advertise your website.

Firstly to carry on adding Ammonia is not a good idea and i apologise for not understanding the full question! To carry on adding ammonia IS daft and would endanger your tank with ammonia poisoning. And secondly i would much appriciate you retracting your rude comments, i have been a fishkeeper for over 10 years and with numerous qualifiations in the field, i am here not only as an advisory but also fellow fishkeeper!

 

[soritan]

Well then, I retract all comments, apologize, and kindly disagree with you (as far as adding ammonia *to begin with* is concerned, my question stands however).

My tank is entirely empty except for previously mentioned plants and bogwood. My ammonia reading is at 0ppm and my nitrite reading is at 0ppm.

I used what is called a "fishless cycle", which involves using a pure ammonia source in order to establish a cycle without endangering fish. This method is extremely safe, as no fish are actually involved.

edit: to reiterate my question so as to be clear

My tank is done being cycled, and I'm going to treat for hydra and then add 5-6 ghost shrimp. As ghost shrimp contribute very little to my bioload, I imagine that they will not be a sufficent source of ammonia to keep my bacteria alive and healthy for my prospective Fish tennants. Do you think that I should continue to add ammonia to keep my bacteria alive? Modified dosage, of course.

 

[rdd1952]

Actually, the best way to proceed now would be to continue to add ammonia just as you have been right up until the day before you add your fish. If you add the shrimp, as you suspected, they won't produce enough waste to keep the bacteria colony fed so it will begin to die off. With the shrimp in the tank though, you will not be able to add ammonia or you will kill them. Wait till you are ready to add the fish and then add fish and shrimp at the same time.

As for the cycling products like Cycle and Stress Zyme, IMO (and the opinion of most others) they are completely useless. I have tried both of them during the fishless cycling process and could not tell that they had any positive effect at all. I wouldn't waste my money on it.