# Cycling My 75g



## superbite (Mar 9, 2009)

So ive started cycling my 75g tank with raw shrimp as my ammonia source, roughly how many should i be using? and when do I take them out to put more in? ive recently left them in for 2 days at a time and it starts to smell

Should i be doing weekly water changes? or gravel vacs?


----------



## RiptideRush (Jan 22, 2011)

Water changes and gravel vacs slow down the process by removing the accumulating beneficial bacteria. Your water should be able to level out and cycle all the way through without a single water change. I don't see why you would remove the ammonia source as it provides food for the bacteria to move along through the cycle. I've always cycled with fish. More help from the more experienced keepers are on their way supe.


----------



## superbite (Mar 9, 2009)

RiptideRush said:


> Water changes and gravel vacs slow down the process by removing the accumulating beneficial bacteria. Your water should be able to level out and cycle all the way through without a single water change. I don't see why you would remove the ammonia source as it provides food for the bacteria to move along through the cycle. I've always cycled with fish. More help from the more experienced keepers are on their way supe.


Yea that makes sense im just curious to know wether i should be replacing the shrimp and how frequently, i dont want it to smell so much


----------



## cduuuub (Oct 19, 2010)

You want to replace the shrip (or whatever else you use for your ammonia source) so it does'nt stink. That is the whole purpose behind replacing rotting stuff. And I would replace it before it even starts to stink.

It only takes several minutes for shrimp/fish/whatever you use for you ammonia source to start decaying.


----------



## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

i dont replace it for at least 4-5 days. activated charcoal in the filter will cut the stench down considerably.


----------



## superbite (Mar 9, 2009)

r1dermon said:


> i dont replace it for at least 4-5 days. activated charcoal in the filter will cut the stench down considerably.


lol I went 2 days and when i got near the tank i was able to smell it, i also started getting an oily residue with some kind of white build up on the surface so i skimmed it out with a net.
Im using an eheim 2217 and it doesn't come loaded with carbon so i might have a problem with the smell.

Im putting about 2 -3 shrimp in daily, and taking out the old ones, my water is getting really cloudy but I hear this is normal for the first few days


----------



## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

cloudy water is definitely normal. i wouldn't worry about it. go to the store, grab some carbon and a little baggie to throw it in...then pop that shiznit in the filter, the smell will be cut considerably.


----------



## superbite (Mar 9, 2009)

r1dermon said:


> cloudy water is definitely normal. i wouldn't worry about it. go to the store, grab some carbon and a little baggie to throw it in...then pop that shiznit in the filter, the smell will be cut considerably.


ill try the carbon in a baggy trick if the smell gets worst, if i can stand the smell for the length of the cycle ill probably just let it be until i start doing water changes after the cycle


----------



## superbite (Mar 9, 2009)

The smell is gone, but the water is super cloudy and im a week in. How long should i expect the water to stay cloudy? because it gets worst as the days go by. Im tossing in about 3-4 shrimp as my ammo source, is this to much?

ill try to get some params soon


----------

