I'm trying to cycle a 2.5g tank but every things keeps dying?

Question

i first used a bamboo shrimp and a few days later he died. :(

then i got 5(one i rescued from my goldfish) ghost shrimp two got stuck on the filter intake and one actually got sucked in and the other two turned milky white this morning and were motionless, but i could tell they were trying really hard to swim. :(

but they all died a few days after getting them...?

i'm not sure what to do, my baby snail is still alive.

and i don't want to put fish in there because i would be devastated if i killed them too. plus the tank is too small for fish.

what should i do?

Answer 1

Shrimp are very sensitive to new water and water with the parameters out of wack. Tank run with conditioned water(water conditioner) for a week or 2. Don't bother with adding fish to cycle it. just let it run for at least 2 weeks. Here read this

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fi...

Answer 2

If you don't intend to put anything but plants in it then it doesn't need to be cycled.  Plants don't produce ammonia so there is no need for the nitrogen cycle to be active.

A 2.5 gallon tank is almost impossible to maintain a cycle in.  The tiny filters that come with them are useless and you just won't get a balance.

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Answer 3

For a fishless cycling , use pure ammonia 9no additives like perfume or anything). Add enough to make the ammonia reading go between 3 and 5 PPM. Test every day for the ammonia and when the ammonia goes down, you will add more to bring it up to between 3 and 5 PPM again. When the ammonia goes to zero over night then the nitrite will start going up so you will still keep adding ammonia to the 3 to 5 PPM. Once the ammonia and nitrite read at zero the day after adding the ammonia, the tank will be considered to be cycled.

Also you can put a sponge over the filter intake to keep the shrimp from being sucked into it. Also you can add plenty of live aquatic plants. If you put enough true live aquatic plants, you will not need to cycle the tank because the plants will use the ammonia as their food.

Answer 4

2.5 gallon is very small!! at least buy a 5.5 gallon or better a 10 gallon. 10 gallons are only ten bucks if you go to a regular pet store,if you go to pet smart or petco it may be ten bucks or a couple bucks more.

Answer 5

Well, use a fish, a betta fish is the best size for that tank, and fish will not get sucked into the filter. Make sure you test the ammonia every day and water change once a week if if the ammonia does not spike. If the ammonia spikes then  change the water.

Answer 6

Small tanks, like your 2.5 gallon one, are more difficult than large tanks to cycle.  I usually don't try to cycle them, and just do a 100% water change once a week.  This is most tolerated by species like betta splendens, which do just fine in a 2.5 gal tank with a weekly water change.  Species like shrimp can't tolerate such conditions, though, and die.

Really, if you're going to cycle a tank, try a larger one.  It's easy to cycle a ten gallon.  But a 2.5 gal is just plain too small to bother cycling.  And since the only fish you can have in it is a betta, really, you might as well just skip trying to cycle it and do weekly water changes.  

No, I'm not a fish expert.  I don't work for a pet store and my advice may not be the best for you.  All I know is that it works for me.  I had two bettas in two 2.5 gal tanks next to one another and did a water change every Friday afternoon.  I put the two fish in two side containers, emptied the main tanks, scrubbed the walls, rinsed the p**p from the gravel, and put the fish back in after adding dechlorinating drops.  And the bettas were fine; they lived like that for my entire school year.  

So, no, I'm not an expert.  But I do know what worked for me.  And I'm suggesting that you don't bother cycling your 2.5 gal.  Just stick a betta in and do weekly water changes.  

No shrimp.  Snails are fine.

Answer 7

when the next fish dies, bury it under the gravel.  its decomposition should help cycle the tank.

Answer 8

Please dont cycle with fish! When the amonia spikes it BURNS thier gills, just like if you got shampoo in your eyes! Now imagine dying from that :( Ok, i will put up a link please please take time to read the artical, it will save a few more fish from a cruel painfull way to die... thank you.

http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_fish...

Oh, and good luck.

Answer 9

the problem with trying to cycle with things like shrimp is that they live at the bottom of the tank where the higest levels of ammonia are

you can cycle the tank by just adding a pinch of fish food to the tank a couple of times a week this will give you your ammonia base you need for the cycle

and is a great method though I prefer cycling with fish

Answer 10

Shrimp are very sensitive to ammonia, so they won't survive the cycling process. Wait until the tank is completely cycled before you add any more shrimp. You could keep a betta in this tank, but, again, wait until it's cycled.

Answer 11

just cycle it with fish food