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The Ammonia crew 2.0...

Magnum Man

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so in the past I've had fish that I didn't really have a place for, that I called my "Ammonia Crew" as I could put them temporary into a tank to start cycling... now that I started up this recent 45 gallon, I have a couple empty 10 gallon holding tanks empty... so I'm thinking about some of the specialty Bushy nose Plecos that they are selling cheaply ( like the Super Reds, & Albino's ) that won't get big, & will keep my beneficial bacteria going in the filter of my holding tanks, & help keep the algae down, as they are all currently lit for normal hours...

these fish would be pretty safe to insert nearly any fish in with them for quarantine...

though, I am curious if they will eat baby Cherry Shrimp, or scuds ( I'm wanting to set up a scud breeding tank, for feeders, & not sure if a lil bushy would eat tiny shrimp or scuds???
 
Ancitrus are biofilm and algae eater and wont hunt scuds or shrimps actively, but They eat the same thing, so some shrimps and scuds could be eaten inadvertently from time to time.
 
The Scuds may keep the glass clean enough, that there would be no need for a bushy in that one, & create enough ammonia to keep the filter going...

& I assumed, Bushys being Aufwuchs eaters, they are really omnivores... so I would guess babies of both scuds & shrimp would be not spit out, if they were in with a mouthful of algae...
 
You do not need live fish for what you want to do. There is an easier and cheaper and safer way.

Yoou can purchase more ammonium chloride thqt you would need to keep a dozen 10 gal tanks cycled for the next 6 years for about $20.
https://www.amazon.com/Fritz-PRO-Ammonium-Chloride-500gm/dp/B00OTH5TAQ

One level teaspoon of ammonium chloride is approximately 4.5 grams, 4.5 grams per 100 gallons of aquarium water will create an ammonia concentration of approximately 4 ppm.
Now Fritz uses the Nitrogen scale so their 4 ppm is 5.12 ppm on an API style kit. So you only need 1/2 the dose they suggest. Do the math and you will see 4.5 gm is enough to dose 10 x 10 gal. tanks to about 2.6 ppm twice. Maintaining a cycle does not require adding ammonia every day. Every other day or even every 3rd day will do the trick. But lets work with every other day.

Since all you have are 2 x 10 gals., that 4.5 gm., using the above info, means you can keep 2 x 10 gal. tanks cycled by dosing every other day to 2.6 ppm for 20 days. So it works like this:

4.5 gm creates 2.6 ppm in 100 gals twice. 100/10 = 10 x 2 doses = 20 doses good for 10 gals. so that would be 10 doses for both of your 2 tanks. Since you only need to add the ammonia every other day, that lasts you for 20 days.

There are 500 gm. in the jar of Ammonium Chloride, that is 111 x 4.5 gm. = 499.5 which means it can dose the 2 tanks for 20 days x 111 = 2,220 days. This is just over 6 years.

The above math is based on the idea that each of the two 10 gals tanks will be cyclced to handle of full fish load. it assumes no live plants but some sand on the bottom and some decor (preferably which is bleachable if needed). A Q tank may become and H tank in some cases.

In my opinion, having a Q tank which starts by having other fish in it defeats the point of Q. Those resident fish may carry something they can fight off but which the new fish added cannot- oops. Or the new fish may have something the fish used to keep the tank cycled can catch- oops. Plus, my guess is that the cost of feeding a couple of BN for 6 years will cost more than $20? Plus with fish in the tank a simple weekly water change is not enough. The plecs ppop a lot and may not eat all they are fed, so you will need to vac somewhat regularly as well as to change water. Dosing ammonium chloride only requires water changes, no vacs and almost no filter media cleaning.
 

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