New tank - Q about cycling and changing decor

[Noraelle]

Hello, I started a new tank about a week or so ago. It has aragonite sand, moss from this website, a plastic decor, and seashells (boiled to disinfect), and I am now playing that waiting game. Because the tank is small, I decided to not have snails. I have 2 questions:
1. Since I didn't get any snails, where would this tank get any ammonia to start the cycling process? Will the moss produce ammonia? Should I put in a fish pellet to let it rot?
2. So I finally found an ideal lava rock that I will switch with the plastic decor. Is there anything else I should be aware of to change decor during the cycling process? I realize that it may extend the cycling time, and that's okay. Also, should I boil the rock or just a rinse with purified water is fine?

[Varanus]

I have heard of people cycling tanks without using things like a bit of fish food to add ammonia, but its my understanding that this method takes longer. I assume in such a case that some organic matter to produce ammonia simply comes in from the outside air, which may be hindered if your tank is covered. Uncovering the tank during cycling also may speed algae growth by giving the tank more access to spores in the air (and thus speeding up the production of biofilm), so there is some benefit to uncovering the tank regardless (I didn't when cycling mine, but i had snails to help cycle).

A quick google search says that algae/plants consume ammonia, but any dead cells will produce ammonia as they decay.

Unless you have reason to believe the lava rock was exposed to any chemicals or other toxins, just rinsing it and switching it with the plastic decor should be fine. I don't think it will be enough to effect the cycling much either, as a lot of a tank's bacteria is found in the substrate too.

[jcfrank922]

When cycling my tank, I did add a couple of tiny shrimp wafers and placed the tank in direct sunlight. But once you see algae growth, move it to indirect sunlight. Since I don't use any artificial light source, the direct sunlight seemed to speed the cycling process.

[Noraelle]

Thank you both! Jcfrank, how long did it take you to cycle with the shrimp wafer and the direct sunlight? Currently my tank is near a north/west window and getting plenty of light but I never added anything to increase ammonia, so I think I'll try to put a shrimp pellet in there. Thanks!

[jcfrank922]

I added 2 shrimp wafers to my 1.5 gallon tank and left the lid off inside my house for 24 hours, then I put the lid back on and placed it outside on my balcony in direct sunlight. After one week of being left outside in direct sunlight, I saw algae growth. Then after that, I added the shrimp.

[Noraelle]

I added 2 shrimp wafers to my 1.5 gallon tank and left the lid off inside my house for 24 hours, then I put the lid back on and placed it outside on my balcony in direct sunlight. After one week of being left outside in direct sunlight, I saw algae growth. Then after that, I added the shrimp.

Awesome! Your tank decor looks very similar to how i wanted mine to look after I replace the lava rock. Thanks for sharing!

[Mustafa]

Supershrimp tanks don't need to be started with an ammonia source. In fact, throwing food in there may complicate things. Just follow the setup instructions on this website...wait until you see algae. Done! Don't overthink it!