Nitrogen Cycle

[polok121]

So its been almost a week since i threw a cocktail shrimp, and actually its almost fully dissolved in the water and yet the ammonia level has not gone up yet. Here are some more noobie question though. the water i use to measure, i grab it from the top. Should i grab it from the bottom of the tank? does it really matter? also should i throw in another cocktail shrimp? thank you in advance

[usmc2b2004]

No if you have good circulation then you should be alright I always test off the top. Also it can take a week or two for the ammonia to show up with the shrimp. That's why I always use pure ammonia it spikes immediately, and you can get it more precise. Just give it a few days and test everyday. You may not see any ammonia it may already be converting to Nitrate, check Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrite everyday until it all goes to Zero.