0.50 Ammonia, 0 nitrites, 10ppm nitrates after cycle?

[DrMadness]

Hi, Ive been trying to get a tank set up for a long time now but originally was having difficulty with getting the ammonia started. I had left my tank alone for a while and it developed grown a green/brownish film on the glass and substrate which was suppose to indicate it was ready. I tried adding 10 shrimps I believe it was 2 months ago because I thought the tank was done cycling and noticed shortly after a huge spike in ammonia and nitrites. I tried to remove the shrimp as they started to die and place them in a separate container where I periodically did water changes to try to keep the ammonia down however they eventually all died. Its been 2 months since then and my nitrites have zeroed but I still have ammonia and don’t know what todo about it. Ive added 10 snails 2 weeks ago thinking it might give the tank a boost like when I added the shrimp since I read you can add them while its towards the end of its cycle. Ive also had algae and a super shrimp moss ball/algae ball in the tank.
pH is 8.0
Salinity 1.010
I used distilled water and salt water from a LFS to make the brakish water.
I have some big lava rocks in there that I bought on eBay. They are 100% Natural Organic Authentic Rio Grand Rift Lava. I rinsed them well when I got them originally a year ago and let them sit in the tank in the place I was living before for a long time. However after moving it took me a while to get a new tank set up as my old one broke. They’ve probably been in there 3-4 months now though.
The substrate is aragonite
I have an LED light at the top thats on/off 12 hours at a time
There is a lid with a opening in the back to allow air in also.
Id also like to add Ive searched the tank to make sure Ive removed any dead shrimp. There was a tiny piece in the corner behind a rock I found yesterday that may have been part of one but Im not sure. I also cleaned the tiny ants n flys that had gotten in that were floating at the top yesterday that were decomposing. I figured the tank should be able to handle the ammonia produced by them though.

So if anyone has any advise on how to get this ammonia down and my tank prepared to hold 100 shrimp I would be very grateful.

[Varanus]

I assume that 100 shrimp you mentioned at the end there is a typo?

What are you using to test for ammonia? If its one of those strip tests it may be giving inaccurate readings.

Anyway, to have an ammonia spike like that there must have been something organic decaying in the tank and not getting eaten. When you say you had difficulty getting the ammonia started, do you mean you added things to produce ammonia? It's possible you overdid it. Really you most likely didn't need to add anything other than some macroalgae or moss balls or snails.

How big is the tank? Especially if this tank is tiny ammonia spikes can happen much more easily, perhaps from things you just didn't notice.

[DrMadness]

It wasn’t a typo. I have a 10 gallon tank so I figured I could fit 100 with room to spare. I will probably be testing the tank first with a smaller amount of shrimp to start though if I can ever get the ammonia levels to go down. I use the API liquid test kit. Also I can’t remember exactly what I did to start the ammonia. I may of tried to use DrTims ammonia which if I did didn’t work. And then later added BioSpira after I was struggling with my first batch of shrimps.

[JDillon]

Are you talking about opae ula shrimp?

[DrMadness]

Yes

[Varanus]

These shrimp have a very small bioload, but all the same adding 100 all at once may be what caused the ammonia spike (assuming you also tried adding 100 when you mentioned they all died, the 10 in that case being a typo).

A 10 gallon tank can support 100 shrimp sure, but adding them all at once may overwhelm even a cycled tank. The bacteria that process waste are at numbers that handle what is in the tank presently. When presented with more waste/food then they will increase in number, but this takes time. When you add say, 20 shrimp then there's no issue usually as the tank can adjust quickly enough, but 100 is another matter.

[JDillon]

Is there anything Alive in the tank now? If not, I’d drain, it clean it, then fill it with distilled water wait a week or 2. Then add shrimp, along with the water they came in. Make sure to let the water the shrimp are in equals the tank water temp before adding them. You will need to feed them weekly until the biofilm develops. Use a teeny tiny amount of powdered spiralina. Adding macro algae and the Petshrimp algae ball will help get it established quicker.

[DrMadness]

These shrimp have a very small bioload, but all the same adding 100 all at once may be what caused the ammonia spike (assuming you also tried adding 100 when you mentioned they all died, the 10 in that case being a typo).

A 10 gallon tank can support 100 shrimp sure, but adding them all at once may overwhelm even a cycled tank. The bacteria that process waste are at numbers that handle what is in the tank presently. When presented with more waste/food then they will increase in number, but this takes time. When you add say, 20 shrimp then there's no issue usually as the tank can adjust quickly enough, but 100 is another matter.

I only had 10 before. I meant I would like to get up to 100 in the future as its a pretty big tank.

Is there anything Alive in the tank now? If not, I’d drain, it clean it, then fill it with distilled water wait a week or 2. Then add shrimp, along with the water they came in. Make sure to let the water the shrimp are in equals the tank water temp before adding them. You will need to feed them weekly until the biofilm develops. Use a teeny tiny amount of powdered spiralina. Adding macro algae and the Petshrimp algae ball will help get it established quicker.

I added 10 snails and they seem to be doing fine. Its been over 2 weeks now and they are still alive.

Id like to add I've added some new shrimp and they seem to be doing fine. If I have any future problems I will let you guys know. It seems that maybe the ammonia test was giving a false positive.