Cocos2d-x 3.0: Generating a fixed number of Particles (a beginner`s question)

So, here’s my question: i want to create a ParticleSystemQuad that will create only, lets say, a thousand particles and thats it. How would you recomend doing it?

I did it using the scheduler, but i believe there must be a more elegant way to do it.
Thank you for your help!