Cocktail shrimp cycling?

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"Add about two or three DEAD cocktail-sized shrimp for every 50 gallons of water. The shrimp can be raw or cooked. Keep good water movement in the tank by using powerheads. Circulation is important. If you are using a canister filter/other filter with bio-media, turn that on after about three days. If you are using a protein skimmer, turn that on after 10 days. This will allow excellent decay and ensure that you effectively peak your ammonia cycle. After two weeks, the ammonia should peak and nitrites should be starting to rise"

This article also suggests that one does not put any cured live rock in the tank during this process. This is so the cycling does not happen to die off or something like that, I am not too sure.. Anyone who can enlighten me on this method would be appreciated.

Most importantly, What do you guys think of this method?

 

First off.....let's remember, "There's more than one way to skin a cat".

I actually do the EXACT OPPOSITE. The end result is the same but I just do it differently.

Not only have I set up many of my own tanks, I've helped many St. Louisans set up their tanks too. My local Reef Club has something called a "Mentor Program". When a newbie joins the club, they have the option of having a Mentor help them through the whole process.....picking out equipment, setting up the tank, cycling the tank, stocking the tank, yada, yada, yada.

I use shrimp but I use it in the exact opposite fashion. If someone is starting a tank with either dry dead live rock or dry base rock and there's not going to be any die-off, that's when I use shrimp. If someone buys LR locally and I don't think there's going to be any die0-off, I will use some shrimp then as well. If the rock is uncured, partially cured, or it was fully cured but it was shipped far enough that there will be die-off, that's when I don't use any shrimp.

There's a misconception that a tank "Cycles" at the beginning and then it's done.....it's now "Cycled". This is not true at all. The Nitrogen Cycle is going on 24/7 in our tanks for the life of the tank. (So is the phosphorus cycle, Sulpher cycle, Carbon cycle, etc.)

I applaud this authors efforts to help others but there's a few problems. A bacterial population is HIGHLY dynamic. If you purposely spike Ammonia as high as possible to get as many bacteria as possible, you are not really building up a mega-army of bacteria to solve Ammonia problems when you have your first fish. That's because when you remove the shrimp, some bacteria will go into stasis...most others will die and provide soluble phosphates for cyanobacteria, diatom algae, other algae spores that arrived with the LR. The VERY FIRST TIME your new fish poops or the very first time you add some food that goes uneaten, you will get additional Ammonia. It has absolutely nothing to do with the original size of the bacterial population. Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria populations will increase immediately. If you throw 8 fish into your 55g the first day you cycled, you might lose one or two. Add one fish...let the bacterial population grow for a short time. Add another fish then.....yada, yada, yada. Additionally, Nitrite Oxidizing Bacteria are hampered by high Ammonia levels so trying to get that Ammonia spike high is merely extending your "Initial Cycle" (and the amount of algae you get while cycling because there will be more bacterial die-off. You don't have to give them fish food or fish poop for phosphorus....they can dissolve it right off of your sand and your rock).

 

inwall75 you are the bomb! Thank you so much for your help.

Just to let you know, I decided to to cycle my tank with partially cured live rock, at least that is what the people at my lps said, the people there are great.

So I have about 20 pounds of lr and I only have half my tank filled, 45 gallon tank, and I just put in my live rock this afternoon. I only have a protein skimmer right now, the good people at my lps said that is all I will need for about a month, then I will get my canister filter. Right now I have my bio balls floating around the top of the tank to get them all good and "bioeeee" (made_up words are fun).

So I guess the first thing that will happen is that my amonia will spike, then my nitrites will spike, then my nitrates will kick in. All together it will take about 2 months max. Does it sound like I know what I am doing or am I way off? Then when I add my fish I will take your advice and add them slowly.

Also, my protein skimmer doesnt seem to be skimming that well, it is a coralife needle wheel. It has only been running for about three hours, I dont know if i need to adjust it or if it just takes a while for them to kick in. Basically it is not producing enough froth to collect in the collection cup.

So I was wondering what I should be expecting next, right now I should expect the amonia to go up correct? If my amonia does not spike that much should i add some shrimp, or should i just forget about trying to build up a so called, "mega army" of bacteria?

Thanks again for your help.

 

the skimmer will take a week or so to get "seasoned", or get slimmed over....then it will do its job.....patience....

and all you need is some die-off to get your ammonia started, then things will proceed on there own from there.... you should soon see brown, diatoms...delicous little diatoms....then water test, water test, water test.......

even then when you add life...the parameters of your tank will change , maybe even cycle again....so tank ( I mean take) things slowly......

remember, never take the credit cards with you to the lfs....no matter what!!!

btw, I didnt see any of your tank info: size, how much LR, or LS, filtration system....all that makes a difference....


Scoffer