question about cycling with shrimp

[sabareefer]

Hi, 

I recently started a waterbox 20 cube and was wondering about the process with cycling with a shrimp. 

Last night i dropped a raw shrimp into the tank. The tank has dry rock and caribsea live fiji pink sand. Later that same day, I noticed some diatoms forming on the rock and sand, with a odour coming from the decomposing shrimp. Today I noticed the diatoms started to go away, along with the smell, and I also noticed the water got noticeably cloudy. My test kit comes in the mail in a couple of days, so apologies for not being able to give readings yet. But I'm mainly wondering if now is a good time to add bottled bacteria and I'm also wondering if this cloudy water is normal and if it will go away soon. Thanks for any input. 

[mcarroll]

2 hours ago, sabareefer said:

I recently started a waterbox 20 cube and was wondering about the process with cycling with a shrimp. 

The best way to cycle a tank with shrimp:  Eat the shrimp while you read up on other ways to do it without rotting meat in your tank. 😉

 

2 hours ago, sabareefer said:

Thanks for any input. 

Rotten shrimp is the #1 grossest way to start a tank....the method is "tops" in that regard.  We have the internet to thank for the spread of that wonderful method.  👏

 

It works – wow.  Otherwise it's just unnecessarily nasty.

 

Old School Knowledge:  

 

Your tank will take 30-40 days to cycle without you doing anything more than putting in the water, sand and rock to get it started.  Aka "The Natural Method".

 

You aren't gaining anything (you actually want) by introducing a dead shrimp.

 

The natural method is still the best, simplest way to do it.  

 

Along the way you stock your tank slowly – gradually working from the smallest critters (pods, worms or maybe cleanup crew) up to the largest (maybe fish if it's a bigger tank).   It should take at least a few months to stock the typical tank.....maybe quite a bit longer.   (Shorter, faster IS NOT better.)

 

The typical new tank ammonia spike is completely avoided if you do the above – which you verify along the way by using a Seachem Ammo Alert.

 

You should not shortcut this process for A LOT OF REASONS.

 

But if you HAVE TO rush your tank (say you are setting up a tank on an emergency basis for some reason) the way to do it is not by adding "bacteria fuel" to the tank (eg, ammonia, rotten shrimp, et al), but by adding already-grown bacteria to the tank.  

 

Shortcut the bacterial grow out phase.  

 

Dr Tim's, BioSpira and other "bacterial starters" work on this basis – and they are all added simultaneously with the livestock you add to the tank.  

 

Use one of these products if you are in a pinch and need to hurry.  They are not needed under more ideal circumstances that should be typical when starting a tank.  (I.e. don't start a tank in a rush)

 

2 hours ago, sabareefer said:

My test kit comes in the mail in a couple of days

Wait until your test kits arrive before you start the experiment next time. 😉   (Hopefully you got an Ammo Alert vs a regular test kit.)

 

I would discard the rotting shrimp post-haste and take it Natural from here on.   A big water change might make it less gross in the near term.  👍

 

I hope this helps!