# Cycling a new tank for shrimps.



## Deanne (30 Aug 2017)

Hi I've been cycling a tank now for about 2 weeks using the fishless cycle. I do have 5 tiny MTS, java moss, a merimo moss ball and a bunch of subwassertang in as well. I've fed the tank with ammonia up to 2, and checked the ammonia levels each day, and they have dropped down to 0.5 after 24 hours. My original tests for nitrates and nitrites were each .25. Today I did a full retest and my parameters are as follows
pH 7.5
NH3 2
NO2 0.25
NO3 20
KH 5
GH12

I'm not sure whether I should be looking for a spike of both nitrates and nitrites at this point, nothing in the tank appears wrong, the MTS's haven't climbed out of the water, the plants are beginning to grow. Should I carry on feeding ammonia, or do a huge water change to reduced the nitrate, or both?


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## dw1305 (31 Aug 2017)

Hi all, 





Deanne said:


> Should I carry on feeding ammonia, or do a huge water change to reduced the nitrate, or both?


Yes I would stop adding ammonia, and do a large water change.

Have a look at <"Cycling a planted tank">, it will cover some of the areas about cycling and why planted tanks are different.   

Shrimps need stable water conditions, so you need to let the tank grow in before you add them. Because you have slow growing plants it will take longer for the tank to grow in. 

I would recommend adding a faster growing plant, and a floating plant would be ideal. 

cheers Darrel


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## Deanne (2 Sep 2017)

Thanks Darrel, I realised I should have put this in water chemistry after I posted it. I will look for something faster growing that will tolerate my lighting, which is not of the brightest.


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## Lindy (23 Sep 2017)

What shrimp are you planning on keeping as that is some hard water lol

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


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## Deanne (30 Sep 2017)

Yellow cherry shrimp


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