# New tank, When can I expect an Ammonia spike?



## Jeanine (Apr 4, 2009)

I set up a 12 gallon shrimp tank on April 22. On May 6th, I planted it. No shrimp yet. One week before I set it up I put the sponge for the Aqua Clear filter into the back of my established tanks filter. I've been testing the PH and for ammonia. The PH dropped from 7.6 to 7.2 since I planted it(It could be the DIY CO2). All of the ammonia test have come back at 0. I read that I should expect an ammonia spike, but haven't yet. Have I done something wrong? Is the mother of all spikes on her way? The LPS thought I could probably put some cherry shrimp in, but I'm not sure.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

No fish, no ammonia. What ever decomposing plant matter may contribute can be sucked up by other plants. Get some fish or a bottle of ammonia to cycle with, and use a reputable commercial culture if you're impatient.

-Philosophos


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## Jeanine (Apr 4, 2009)

How many fish should I start with? I'm thinking about getting some Rummy Nose tetras or some Dwarf Rosbora, if I can find some. I plan on adding a school of them to my 55 gallon tank eventually. I do plan on keeping only shrimp in the 12 gallon.


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## svenster88 (Jan 16, 2008)

5-6 fish should probably be alright. I wouldn't cycle my tank with the rummynose. But rasboras should be fine, or just a small shoal of hardier tetras.


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## Natalia (Sep 15, 2008)

Very nice setup. You get ammonia spike without having fish in the tank if you have Aquasoil as a substrate, but yours does not look like aquasoil. Otos could be a good fish to start. You also can do fishless cycling just by puting a little bit of fish food in the tank.


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## Jeanine (Apr 4, 2009)

Thank you, This is my first attempt at a set up like this. The substrate is a gravel by Geosystem. I stored a few plants for a couple weeks in my bigger aquarium and introduced snails into my 12 gallon. I don't know if they add any ammonia or not. (I do sometimes squish them in the tank if I see to many.) Should I be doing water changes? I've been doing weekly ones.


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## tex627 (Nov 2, 2008)

water changes are only effective during the cycling process if your nitrite level gets above 5ppm because bacteria grow slower/die if nitrite levels get too high. other than that waterchanges are useless during the cycling process. i wouldnt waste my money on tetras and such for cycling because a several will die off. i just use feeder guppies my LFS sell them for 1$ for 16. but if yu dont mind your rasboras/tetras dying go for it. but they're a lot more expensive than feeders.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

If you are worried about an ammonia spike then dose (as per instructions) you tank with prime every 24 hrs. This will convert any ammonia to ammonium.


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## SameButMoreSo (Jan 20, 2009)

I started my 10 gallon tanks with snails, plants, and fish food. I decided to go for the slow and patient ramp up instead of fiddling with additives and sacrificial fish, and it seems to have worked for me.

According to the notes from my journal, I got 20 ppm nitrate three days after the first tank was set up. The nitrate levels dropped back to 0 shortly after. I got my first nitrite readings 10 days later, 1ppm. It dropped to .5 ppm the next day, stayed that way for three days, and then dropped to 0. I added half a dozen tetras after three weeks, and I never got a rise in either nitrites or nitrates after they arrived.

The second tank had a more classic cycling pattern. It didn't start showing nitrites or nitrates until 9 days later, when I got a reading of 1 ppm nitrite and 20 ppm nitrate. It stayed at this level on days 10, 11, and 12. Then the nitrite jumped up to 3 ppm with the nitrate remaining at 20 ppm on day 13. At day 15 the tank was still at 3 ppm nitrite and 20 ppm nitrate. On day 16 the nitrite had dropped to 1 ppm and the nitrate was 0. On day 18 the nitrite was at .5 ppm. On day 19 the nitrite had dropped to 0. Added 3 minnows on day 20 with no impact to nitrite/nitrate readings.


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