shrimps vs the cycle

[thedeanorama]

Are RCS alone enough to maintain a cycled tank? I'm thinking of potentially moving all the cardinal tetras out of my 12 into my upcoming 15, just leaving the shrimp behind. I have about 15 RCS and 2 Amanos in it currently but with such a low bioload will that be enough to maintain the beneficial bacteria?

[KingFisher]

They will maintain the amount of beneficial bacteria necessary to process their own waste, and no more.

[thedeanorama]

Would this make the cycle more delicate to change then?

[Brhino]

yes. The shrimp that remain will be fine. You will have a very low bioload and a very small amount of bacteria: balance. However, if you were to later add several fish back into the tank, you would suddenly go from a very low bioload to a moderate bioload, and you would experience a mini-cycle.