AWC and a new tank: When to start?

[Hooz]

I'm in the process of setting up a new tank and I am going to be implementing an AWC system on it. I do water changes on all 3 of my nano tanks using a single 5g bucket, but the new tank is quite a bit larger, so AWC is where I'm headed.

My plan is to start the tank using "live rubble" from my other tanks, dry rock and Ocean Direct live sand. I plan to have fish in it from (basically) day one, and I'll start moving some of my easier coral from the other tanks over as soon as the initial cycle (if there even is one) completes and things stabilize.

Now, I know I want SOME nutrients to accumulate in the tank before a start moving all my coral, so I'm wondering where on the timeline I should start with the AWC. I'm worried that if I start too soon I'll never get the nutrients up, but how long is too long to wait?

 

[Stang67]

You can determine when to change out the water by testing. When the parameters exceed or fall below the recommended levels it's time for a water change.

 

[spsick]

On a new tank I would do a couple regular manual water changes and start AWC 2 months in or so. Depends on coral and fish load though. If your loads are light no reason to start early. To me AWC is for diluting bad and replenishing good.

 

[Boehmtown]

I'd get it mixed and ready to go and just turn it on when you need to, deciding off of nutrients till the tank stabilizes.

 

[Hooz]

That's what I'm wondering, though. Do I kick in the small dailies BEFORE I get to my target numbers, or wait until I'm there and then start the dailies to try to keep them there? I'm just not familiar with how well small daily water changes will "lock in" my numbers once they start. If that makes sense.