Water change?

[SurfinC]

I have a 90 gallon dt and a 20 to 25 gallon sump I am not running my skimmer yet as I don't have any fish. It has been cycling for about a week and a half now and I tested ammonia nitrite nitrate lastnight and again today. ammonia=0, nitrite=0, nitrate is about 5ppm, and my ph is about 8.0. Should I go ahead and do a water change? and how much water do I need to change? I will be getting more cured/cooked live rock this Friday. Is this ok or should I wait to do the water change?

 

[Mike J.]

With levels like that a water change isn't necessary. I would be a little concerned that after cycling your nitrates are only five. I'd start out real slowly. Also might as well wait until after the new rock cycles your tank again. Have you read this article?http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f15/mature-aquarium-28484/

 

[mike007]

Its too early you need to wait. Get your rock and let it keep cycling and do your test. Depending on the quality of your live rock will determine the time it takes to cycle. And i would get a skimmer. Be patient and go slow.

 

[shaft]

I would wait. Have you seen any ammonia or nitrites yet? 1 1/2 weeks isn't long enough for a tank to cycle unless you used some dr tim's in it or sonething like that.
You should see ammonia first and than nitrites and than nitrates. After ammonia and nitrites spike and drop back to zero your tank is cycled. I also would wait unt the mew rock has been in the tank for at least a week and test the params tbefore doing anything.

GL,

Jimbo

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

 

[SurfinC]

no I never saw ammonia but i added live sand before i had any rock about 3 weeks ago so its been cycling for at least 4 weeks. i just got the test kit yesterday. and i did have a chromis in there for 3 days but he got sucked into the powerhead. he looked healthy though before that he was eating good

 

[SurfinC]

should i start skimming or wait till i have livestock?

 

[SurfinC]

and some of my rock is fully established i got it out of my buddy's tank.

 

[Mike J.]

I'd start skimming now; it's an important part of curing live rock.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Throw your skimmer on there, you want it removing any organics from the Live Rock.
No need for the WC as your numbers don't warrant it.
If your throwing more Cured rock in, that won't affect the system either. Dry rock at this point would, but only if you were to put a huge amount in at the same time.

 

[SloppyJ]

He said he's throwing in "cooked" rock which means, in my mind, that it isn't live rock. Put the new rock in and watch it cycle with your tests.

 

[SurfinC]

the rock that im adding has been sitting in a trash can for about 3 weeks some still has coralline on it so I would say its still live right? and then I have about 10 lbs of fully established, covered in coralline, rock that has also introduced some amphipods and mini snails, a good bit of them too. So I thought that if im seeing all these and my parameters are good I would be ready for 4 hermits and 2 emeralds. I jumped on it because of the R2G buy one get one free and I get some zoos for free. Ive had a mushroom in there since I started (it was on my first rock) and it has grown quite a bit even have another head coming up

 

[SurfinC]

So when should I do a WC?

 

[Mrfresh]

Like everyone has already said,

Don't do a water change no need.
Add ur rock and that's it,
Test in a few days and see how the tanks doing.
If nothing changed then don't worry about it starting a cycle again.

Good luck!

 

[Mike J.]

I would make sure the tank is cycled. Maybe a deli shrimp? Watch elevated ammonia then elevated nitrites, then elevated nitrates. Do a water change when there is 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites to reduce the high nitrate level.

 

[Mrfresh]

So when should I do a WC?

Do a water change a week after you start to add live stock.
The fish will start to poop and might not eat all the food so it might cause a mini cycle.
The tanks not used to poop and extra nutrients in it, so that's when u first really need to watch the tank

 

[SurfinC]

ok thanks