Leaderboard

I everyone I'm a long time member of SKF but due to health reasons had to shut my shrimp room down and consequently have been very quiet on the forum although I have been lurking. I still have a few tanks but no longer do selective breeding. I warn you I have verbal diarrhoea once I get started with my questions -just saying. I have a bit of a conundrum -well for me anyway. On Monday I emptied my 210 litre tank - gosh it took a very very long time to catch all the babies but I got there in the end. I saved 3/4 of the water for reuse. I have 2 canister filters plus 2 jumbo sponge filters which I carefully stored so I could keep the beneficial bacteria alive. I took out the substrate and replaced it with some more Benibachi substrate that had been used in my closed tanks for about 4months from new. I put the water back in to the tank , replaced the plants and topped up with RO water. Started the filters going and in the morning I had a crystal clear tank. I decided to do a quick ammonia test for a starting point and was amazed that it was yellow or the desired level. I thought that's a bit quick I will check tomorrow. This morning I did a full test -ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, KH, GH, PH and TDS. I was completely surprised that everything came back as pretty well spot on for my cycled tanks. Now I'm a bit concerned could these readings be right? I would have thought that there should at least have been a spike in ammonia as the substrate had been disturbed. My test kit- API Master fresh water kit is relatively new from late last year so that isn't a problem and the 2 other tanks I have all read pretty well within the desired limits apart from a bit of nitrates. I guess have 2 large canisters full of seeded material it is possible . I'm thinking I will put some culls in and see how they go but just want some thoughts as to whether it is possible for the tank to have cycled that quickly. My main concern is that the ammonia might still spike so I don't want to take a chance and kill my best shrimp -I don't want to kill the culls either but better them than my good ones. Should I just leave it a week and retest ? So any thoughts anyone?

I would thnk everything is ok as the sustrate was used and passed the point it may cause a spike, but just check it for a week (occassionally ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, you could leave it for the week but I would prefer the extra peace of mind you will have from more frequent testing for this week) and try some culls now to be on the safe side! Using the old water will have helped, undoubtedly! There doesn't sound like anything mentioned would cause anything other than what you have seen, but I understand your concern, rarely does everything go so well in this hobby, but with your years of experience and from your post all looks great - I will however keep my fingers crossed................ It is always great to have past members return and hear how it is going? I have read many of your old posts with interest. Simon