Mini Cycle

[Aiden123]

Hi everyone

 

I recently changed over substrate in my tank and did a bit of re-scaping. 

My tank went from this:

To this:

The whole transfer process itself went well, however since I changed the substrate and took out one sponge filter (replaced with a Dennerle Scaper's Flow) the tank seems to have gone into a mini-cycle. 

The tank parameters are:

Ammonia: 1.0ppm

Nitriate: 0.0ppm

Nitrate: 20ppm

TDS: 160

GH: 6-7

KH: 0-1

PH: 6.0

Temp 22.5c

The ammonia level has stayed the same for around a week and I have been doing daily, small water changes (5 litre dripped back in over 1-2 hours) to bring the nitrates down. I had also been dosing active bacteria after water changes, 

I have had a couple of deaths since I set the re-did the tank just over a week ago but in generally, the shrimp seem healthy, active and feed well

Is there any way I could speed up the mini-cycle or anything that means it has a small impact on the shrimp?

Thanks in advance. . 

[Shrimple minded]

Seachem Stability or other beneficial bacteria commerically available?

[OMG Aquatics]

What substrate is that?

What bacteria are you adding to the tank?

I know that most live bacteria sold are a hit and miss.

Stability is by far the best I've used.

Are you positive the sponge filter you're using is providing good flow for filtration?

 

[Aiden123]

1 hour ago, Shrimple minded said:

Seachem Stability or other beneficial bacteria commerically available?

I dose Bornewild Enlive after water changes. and I also put in some Dennerle FB7 BactoCLean straight in the HOB filter on set up.

1 hour ago, OMG Aquatics said:

What substrate is that?

What bacteria are you adding to the tank?

I know that most live bacteria sold are a hit and miss.

Stability is by far the best I've used.

Are you positive the sponge filter you're using is providing good flow for filtration?

 

Substrate is Shrimp King Active Soil. It doesn't leach any ammonia, etc. 

Bacteria are as above.

I think the sponge filter is rated for between 100-200 litre and the HOB filter is  rated at up to 120 litre. The tank itself is 90 litre so I hope that there should be sufficient flow; 

[Shrimple minded]

As I think more about this I believe Purigen could have a role to play if your concern is protecting your shrimps if a mini-cycle is really occurring.  

[240ric]

Are you sure your substrate is not the cause of the low ammonia readings?  I used Brightwell Rio Escuro in three of my shrimp tanks and even with a mature filter, my ammonia readings were 0.5-1.0 ppm for about 1-2 weeks.

My first time using Brightwell, I too assumed that the soil would not leech ammonia based on other people's comments.  I was inexperienced with caridinas and active substrate, and started this tank up like any of my past fish tanks with inert substate.  I scaped the tank and moved a mature filter to this tank.  I ordered some CRS and they were on their way before I realized the low ammonia readings.   When they arrived I had no choice but to put the CRS in this tank since I didn't have another tank to put them in.  The 10 CRS survived the low ammonia readings for this 1 week period and are still alive today and still breeding.  Also, I read somewhere that ammonia is non-toxic in low pH tanks.

This was a learning experience for me and treated my next two Brightwell tanks differently, and waited until ammonia readings were zero before adding shrimp.

[Aiden123]

My mini-cycle is over and I am reading 0.00 ammonia and nitrites.

Unfortunately, due to the cycle I am left with a nitrate reading of 40ppm. 

I would be a bit worried doing a big water change as in the past, I have had deaths following a big water change. No I usually do changes of 5 litre for the 90 litre tank once a week. 

Would I be better doing big water changes to get the nitrate down sooner or doing lots a space changes with the nitrate going down over a longer period of time?

I am also looking into getting some amazon frogbit to help keep the nitrates down in the future. 

[Soothing Shrimp]

How did you add the water?

[Aiden123]

I add the water by slowly dripping it back in over about an hour for 5 litre 

[Soothing Shrimp]

That's good. Same way with large water changes?

[Aiden123]

Same way with large changes too.

[Soothing Shrimp]

Tap or remin RO?

[Aiden123]

R/O remineralised to 150 tds 

Tank water is 160-165 but after change I add mineral powder and bacteria

[Soothing Shrimp]

Water sounds good.