water changes during cycle

[moultonrock]

ok, I finally got my LS and LR after a week of waiting till I could afford it. i have about an inch a bit of LS and 15lbs of cured live bali rock. i put the sand in 2 days ago and the rock today.

 

anyways, here's my question:

 

should i be doing water changes during the cycleing period or wait till I get some livestock?

[Brianc_4]

Yes, do water changes. Even though your live rock was purchased cured, theres still bound to be some die off. This die off will cause spikes. Even if you don't have any live stock, you might want to keep the ammonia levels under control, so you don't kill off any free critters that might have hitchiked on the LR. However, in my opinion , I would'nt change more than 10-15% of the water a week because you still want nitrobacter to develop and continue to cycle the tank. Good luck!

[reef93]

I vote for NOT doing water change during cycling. It will take longer to finish cycle.

[lizbeth]

Originally posted by reef93

I vote for NOT doing water change during cycling. It will take longer to finish cycle.

 

Since we are voting. I agree with Brianc_4.

 

But only after testing the water to see what's going on. You may not even have a high enough spike to worry about the critters on the rocks or you might have one like I did that kills everything in the tank. So what if it takes longer to cycle. Lesson # two in reef keeping patience, waiting for the cycle to finish.

[printerdown01]

Personally I don't like preforming more than one water change durring the cycle... I believe that it is more efficient to let the tank ballance itself, the more that we interfer with the process the longer it will take the tank to develope the correct amount of bacteria algae, ect for the tank to stabilize. -I have no proof for my claim however, so you may dismiss it as pure opinion! However, it makes sense if you think about it... I also agree with Lizbeth, if you have a spike that is completely off the charts, then preform a water change... but just remember that your tank is SUPPOSED to spike, BIG TIME, this is normal... This is also why we don't put anything that isn't EXTREAMLY hardy in the tank. *It has been my experiance that coralline and sponges survive cycling quite well, and things like muscles and clams die quickly. The more LR and LS you use, the more die-off you will see (thus raising your Nitrates and Nitrites), but also note that the more you use the faster your tank will cycle! If you read my set-up story on my site you will see that I added my clean-up crew MUCH earlier than most people would suggest, and had no deaths... However, I have set-up and helped set-up many tanks in the past! I only wish that I would have had more LR in my tank in the begining of the cycle!! -I have no exact date when the tank finished cycle (for I was not using test kits, and over a year later I still only own a specific gravity meter and a pH kit).

[NaNO ReeFiN]

When I first set up my nano, I was told, as well as doing some research on the internet to not do a water changes during the cycle.

[spectre]

no water changes until cycle is done. MTC

[moultonrock]

seeing as the majority of the replies say no, i won't do a water change 'till the cycle is done.

 

thanks guys

[Dave ESPI]

You wont listen to me, and I dont care if U do or not, but keepong polutants and ammonia/nitrite/nitrate down is VERY important to curing liverock. Just cause its rock doesnt mean U can abuse it by not changing water.. YES the cycle will take longer to accomplish, but the biota and Fauna will be spared the stress and potential death of valuable resources to your reeftank.

But do as U wish....... U seem set in your ways.:

[reef93]

It will be long debt about waterchange during initial cycle. Dave, got his point. but my point is if you do a water change during cycle it will increase the time the cycle takes. It needs these high levels to grow all the bacteria needed to support life later. By doing a water change you will be removing the "fuel" of the cycle and slow the engine. I know patience is the key, IME, I do want the the cycling and algae outbreak ended asap. And be patience/slowly adding fish,corals..

anway, either choice should be fine. moultonrock, good luck.

[moultonrock]

thanks dave. i'll consider it:

[matt the fiddler]

in a 10 gallon say you do 5% change every 4 days./ 10% a week are we talking about a couple of days added to the cycle- or a couple of weeks?

 

 

10 lb uncured.. mmm mm it is beautiful

and 20lb of natures ocean aragonite bio-active

 

 

matt