Amazingly Quick Cycle

Hi,

September 9th I started cycling my tank (adding in fish food) and after 2 weeks I still had now ammonia in my tank so I added a shrimp, cut up into 5 pieces (three days ago) and I got a reading of ammonia, 0.3 (yesterday) and now today I got a 1.2 reading of ammonia, 0.1 nitrite and 5 nitrate. How much longer until the cycle will be complete, ready for fish? Should I take out some fish food (I haven't added any since the shrimp) or a few pieces of shrimp?

*note I was also using some used filter media (although it had been sitting in a bag without water for a month) so that might be why the cycle is going so quick.

 

I would wait till you test your water and it reads 0 0 10-20.

 

I would wait till you test your water and it reads 0 0 10-20.

Yeah I know that but do you know how long it will take?
Am I doing everything right?

 

There are so many variables that time wise would even be hard to guess. Some bacteria go dormant and slowly die as your media dries out so there might be some left. Probably not much.

 

There are so many variables that time wise would even be hard to guess. Some bacteria go dormant and slowly die as your media dries out so there might be some left. Probably not much.

Okay, alright. Thanks

 

It sounds like you're doing it right. I don't think the filter bacteria could survive a month without water though.

 

But it does sound like you are going about it the right way.

 

That’s good... should I remove any shrimp or fish food?

 

I wouldn't till you get somewhere around 20 nitrates.

 

I wouldn't till you get somewhere around 20 nitrates.

Okay. Will do.

 

Okay so today I got 0.3 ammonia, 3.0 nitrites and ~20+ nitrates.
Do I need to do anything about that?