Any pointers?

[zackish]

Ok, over the last few days of my fishless cycle, my ammonia has been off the charts. I started with 4 shrimp in my tank. It was well over 8.0 ppm so I took out 2 of the shrimp and did a 50% water change yesturday. Today it was still 8.0 ppm so I took out another one of the shrimp leaving me with one. I then did another 50% water change and I am at about 4-5.0 ppm.

Here is the question. Is the ammonia going to rise every day and am I going to have to keep chaning the water or will it stay constant now until my nitrite spike?

[RobbieG]

I don't think theres any way to tell how fast a shrimp is going to rot - but you may have taken enough mass out so that the ammonia coming from the one thats left in there will be closer to the amount that you need to cycle the tank. Thats the drawback to using shrimp peels, you can't really regulate it like you can with ammonia.

You'll have to keep checking it - but if you are lucky you won't have to change out so much water to keep the ammonia where you want it.

[zackish]

I don't think theres any way to tell how fast a shrimp is going to rot - but you may have taken enough mass out so that the ammonia coming from the one thats left in there will be closer to the amount that you need to cycle the tank. Thats the drawback to using shrimp peels, you can't really regulate it like you can with ammonia.

You'll have to keep checking it - but if you are lucky you won't have to change out so much water to keep the ammonia where you want it.


So because I have one in there right now and providing my ammonia stays at 4-6 ppm....the bacteria should start forming and keep the ammonia level right around that point?

[gm72]

Right, in essence. By doing water changes though you are prolonging the cycling process.