Adding invertebrate to cycling tank

[ilikeallfish]

Hey all! First time here on nano-reef.

As with some other new members, I signed up because I needed some advice.

 

I'm currently cycling a 30 gal long SW w NSW, dry rock and old LR rock that I scrubbed, washed in FW, sprayed w peroxide and sun-dried (last tank was battling a phosphate problem). I have two pieces of LR from my old tank that I am currently keeping in a bucket w a powerhead. I'm currently cycling my tank w no lights bc I'm waiting for my phosphates to mellow out (trying to avoid those algae blooms). I was going to wait until my tank was fully cycled and phosphates nearly undetectable before throwing in the LR and turning on the lights. I'm currently running a AC 70 w carbon, phosban and purigen

 

Now, the problem.

 

Alongside the LR, my dad took home some coral banded shrimp the other day (caught; I live in Hawaii; no regulations regarding them, as far as I know). I've been keeping them with my live rock because I didn't really know what to do with them.

 

Upon further reading I just realized that I've been unintentionally (but maybe for the better) curing my LR (I keep it away from the sun to avoid insane temperature fluctuations). Now that I'm starting to see the die off in the bucket I know it can't be good for the shrimp.

 

The levels in my tank right now aren't terrible:

Ammonia: 0.15-0.25ppm

NO2: 0.25-0.5ppm

NO3: 10ppm

PO4: 0.492ppm

Salinity: 1.024

pH: 7.7

 

I just did a water change so levels should be even lower (and specific gravity back up to 1.025)

 

I was wondering if I could put the shrimp into my tank any feed them flakes while waiting for my LR to cure and phosphates to die down (keeping the lights off).

 

The shrimp are just putting me in a difficult position bc I want them to be healthy, but at the same time I don't want to rush the cycling process.

 

Any feedback would be welcome.

 

 

[Sammaredsox]

Following as I had the same question!

[Clown79]

Well your tank is in the middle of a cycle, i wouldn't do waterchanges until ammonia reads 0.

 

If the liverock your curing in a bucket has ammonia readings, thats as dangerous for the shrimp as the ammonia in the tank.

 

If the liverock in the bucket has die off, why not just add it to the tank so it all cycles together? Phosphates will still be present in the rock even after curing it.

 

Theres really very little to completely avoid phos as its in the food, some dosing products etc. If you treated the rock with peroxide and rinsed it well it should be fine to add to the tank.

 

Either way, ammonia and nitrites are dangerous to inverts. The only thing i can tgink of to possibly prevent them dying from ammonia is seachem prime dosing.

[ilikeallfish]

Thank you!

Would you recommend just throwing all base and LR together and separating the inverts from the rock until my tank has cycled?

 

I actually have prime, should I add some to the water? Would you recommend using prime while cycling the tank?

[Clown79]

Ya, I'd just cycle my tank with all the rock in the tank.

 

Is the rock in the bucket producing ammonia?

[ilikeallfish]

My only concern would be having to do bigger water changes in a 30 gal versus a 5 gal bucket...

I didn't check the levels in the bucket but judging by the die off I would assume phosphates and ammonia to be high

[reefone]

why not just put the shrimp back into the ocean and catch more once your tank is set up and ready for inhabitants?

[GunslingerGirl]

why not just put the shrimp back into the ocean and catch more once your tank is set up and ready for inhabitants?

 

^ This is what I was going to say.

 

If there's no regulations on catching them... then there should be plenty more to find, right? I would hate to get attached and then have them suffer if it was my tank. If it's isn't a big deal that's what I would do.

 

Good luck! And

[patback]

why not just put the shrimp back into the ocean and catch more once your tank is set up and ready for inhabitants?

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT put anything into the ocean after it has been in a tank. Even if the rock is from the ocean, without nature balancing things the critters can hold pathogens and parasites and different hetero tropic bacterias that would be bad to introduce into the natural ecosystem. It is also illegal. The shrimp are in your tank, nothing you can do about it now.

 

 

Two options. Do a soft cycle with the shrimp in it. This will take 10 times longer than a normal cycle but give them a much better chance of living. Or just leave them be. it sucks, but something you may have to do.

I suggest getting rid of those phosphate filled rocks. It will carry over to the new tank and leach out the same levels you had in the previous without proper cleaning and a LOOOONGGGG waiting period.

[Clown79]

You shouldn't be doing waterchanges on a cycling tank. Just wait till the cycle is over to start doing waterchanges.

 

Don't put them back in the ocean Patback listed why.

 

Use your prime to bind the ammonia from killing them.

 

If it had been me, I would have added the liverock and base rock to the tank and cycled them together.

 

Curing the liverock prior to adding makes sense when adding it to an established tank. Otherwise just cycle them in the tank with the base rock.

 

Are you seeing ammonia in both bucket and in tank?

 

Either way, wherever the shrimp are, use prime so they don't die

[ilikeallfish]

Thank you for all the feedback! I think I'll throw the live rock into the empty tank and cure there, meanwhile caring for the shrimp in a bucket and feeding them there until I can finally introduce them into the tank.

 

 

Unless you guys recommend I throw out the LR to combat the phosphate problem?? Or were we talking about the old LR that I rinsed and sun dried?