Help with this cycling PLEASE!!

[JustinsReefTank]

So i started my tank up about a week and half ago. I placed a shrimp in the tank. How long should I leave the shrimp in the tank?? It looks nasty!! It looks like a big cotton ball. I have taken my hand and kinda stirred up all the nasty stuff on it ( which I'm guessing is the bacteria) Im checking my water and I still have high ammonia levels. I know its gonna take a while and I'm not rushing anything. Just didn't know how long it should be in there or just leave it until it deteriates??
Thanks everyone in advance!! :D

 

[JustinsReefTank]

Im so confused what to do. I just did some more research and some people say take out after a week and some say leave in. Im lost

 

[fastrd400]

Go ahead and take it out. The cycle has clearly started if you are seeing a high level of ammonia. Let the cycle run it's course. It may take any where from another week, to a month to complete, all cycles are different.

 

[little_fish]

+1 Fast

 

[JustinsReefTank]

So you are saying take what is left of the shrimp out. What will feed the bacteria in the tank if I take it out of the tank?? Im not second guessing you just wondering..

 

[fastrd400]

It is already begun. The cycle starts with ammonia. Leaving the shrimp in there is just going to keep feeding ammonia, which you don't need now since you are already seeing it. The bacteria builds on it's own as the cycle progresses.

 

[JustinsReefTank]

Thank you. I will take it out now. Appreciate your help!!

 

[JustinsReefTank]

so okay I want make sure i do this right the first time. I took the shrimp out and threw in the trash. Now I am wondering should I add maybe a few pounds of live rock. I have dry rock in there now that was not live. Would this start my cycle over again??
Or should I let it be??

 

[JustinsReefTank]

I was doing research and seen that adding a few hermit crabs help the bio load and create detriuos and its good to help bio load how true is that??

 

[little_fish]

No, that will just kill the crab. Plus no invert has any appreciable bioload, but adding a few pieces of live rock will speed up your cycle

 

[JustinsReefTank]

kk Thanks Lil. I just checked my water. Ammonia is between .50 and 1.0
Nitrite is 0 P.H is 8.0
Let me know how you think its going. I did at some TLC stuff that is for cycling tanks.
I haven't had any nitrites yet so I don't think my cycle had gotten that far yet.

 

[little_fish]

That sounds good, you are in the first stage of your cycle

 

[JustinsReefTank]

I just put in probably five pounds of live rock I got from my neighbor. He has a 125 gallon thats been setup for about a year. So hopefully that'll help the process a lil. Thank you to everyone for your help. I will keep posting my updates on my tank page.

:whoopee!: