How’s my cycle going? (Shrimp method)

[KJones90s]

Been cycling for 2 weeks, went with the shrimp method. I put one in and left it for 3 days until it began to swell, then I siphoned it out as I didn’t want it to burst and get crap all over the tank (wasn’t aware of the mesh bag method).
not seeing much in the way of nitrate but my ammonia levels are going down, was at about 2ppm 2 days ago.
Should I put another shrimp in to add more ammonia?
I am ghost feeding daily.
The tank is a 120 4x2x2 Aqua Japan.

 

[KJones90s]

Bump

 

[brandon429]

here's your cycle breakdown:

missing detail from here common to cycling threads was bottle bac used, if you used any bottle bac or used other sources of input (wet sand, any live rock that was wet, or caribsea liferock infused with dormant bac) then you're cycled because they work faster than two weeks time, and any non cycled surfaces will take on bac within that time if mixed in the same water



*if you didnt input any bacteria and only are getting natural vectors (how any aquarists made it through the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, then in 2000's bottle bac came and everyone felt obliged to add it forgetting old vectoring methods) then you can range out to the time it takes a standard cycling chart to show completion; ammonia within ten days, nitrite in 25 though we dont factor nitrite anymore in updated reef cycling for efficiency reasons. you may be done faster than that standard charted time


but you show ammonia already moving down from a prior darker color I assume? that, and known time frames says you can control ammonia, and that means you're cycled.

testing filthy food laden water isnt required, clean that gunk out. change your wastewater for full clean, add some reef life, it will live due to whats stuck on the surfaces.

with the nutrient you've provided and submersion duration and every cycling chart online which is a million, I cannot see how this reef can't be cycled. using non seneye test kits to test wastewater might not agree, but that messy method isnt factored here. change water, remove uneaten accumulations, reset the balance to clean, and the water wont become unclean regarding dangerous ammonia...its cycled.

to be technical you can prove it vs guess

clean your system start reef ready clean. take an api ammonia test on clean water and photo it, baseline zero is this color.

dose liquid ammonium chloride to the point the water tests barely darker, not 2ppm. barely darker.

post pic to show what you dosed to, a little higher than calibrated zero

re check in 24-48 hours, its back down to calibrated zero and the movement proves your cycle fit for the chemistry forum of empirical actions. this light testing wont require you to change water again, liquid AC is very clean compared to rotting feed or shrimp meat