Small Water Change Before First Fish?

ShaggyRS6 · Oct 16, 2019

Hi all, tank has cycled. Parameters good. I have not done a water change yet and have a pair of clowns coming on Friday. Should I do a small water change before that or no?

I was thinking maybe 10 gallons? I have a 100G tank.

Zer01thousand · Oct 16, 2019

ShaggyRS6 said:
Hi all, tank has cycled. Parameters good. I have not done a water change yet and have a pair of clowns coming on Friday. Should I do a small water change before that or no?

I was thinking maybe 10 gallons? I have a 100G tank.

Nitrate level high? If so water change it is. I am waiting for my last legs of a tank cycle to finish, soon as it does I’ll do a 50% wc

WVNed · Oct 16, 2019

Yes now is when you get your nitrates in line. You can change all of it if the tank is unstocked. What grows while you cycle isn't in the water, it's on the stuff in the tank.

ShaggyRS6 · Oct 16, 2019

Nitrates 7ish, not higher than 10.

WVNed · Oct 16, 2019

And now the scary part. You have to decide what to do. Which is how it will be for as long as you do this.
It isn't as hard as it seems but has no set formula to really follow. That's why there are so many threads here with people doing opposite things trying to achieve the same results.