Water changes during cycle?

Lucastank · Oct 13, 2022

Hey guys, I just set up my new tank. Dry rock with live sand. Added the bottle bacteria. It’s been a week, my ? Is, should I do water changes during the cycle or just let it go? I was going to wait a bout 3 weeks and do a water change, let the tank build up the bacteria and test the parameters. Thanks guys.

Garf · Oct 13, 2022

Lucastank said:
Hey guys, I just set up my new tank. Dry rock with live sand. Added the bottle bacteria. It’s been a week, my ? Is, should I do water changes during the cycle or just let it go? I was going to wait a bout 3 weeks and do a water change, let the tank build up the bacteria and test the parameters. Thanks guys.

I wouldn’t and don’t. Just a waste of good salt.

dstockwell · Oct 13, 2022

To soon, wait the 3 weeks...

brandon429 · Oct 13, 2022

there is a 99 page thread that tracked exactly how long it takes for bottle bacteria from different brands to adhere to rocks/become cycled

Dr. Reef's bottle bac thread

Bacteria in a bottle, Myth or Fact

@Dr. Reef I seen it mentioned a few times about tests using Seneye? Is there a thread for this I can't seem to find it?

www.reef2reef.com

I can't recall any strain that took longer than five days, and the tanks are able to carry fish on day one/that's why fifty thousand posts doing show always show happy fish. The truth is, you aren't in risk of ammonia issues you're in risk of fish disease by adding unprepped fish and soon to be corals and CUC/disease vectors

you can't avoid that disease incidence rate whether you add fish now, or on day one, or on day 100 of wait. per the disease forum, specific disease protocols independent from cycling are required. you paid for instant cycle bottle bac, it's ok to know it works just exactly that way. it does not even matter if your tank was fed/omitted from the description

after three weeks common home contaminants have fed the bacteria just fine, and when you add fish the ammonia doesn't rise dangerously because two fish in a big tank isn't much waste and the surfaces are already coated anyway. cycles aren't ruined bc someone didn't feed, they complete anyway via food sources web posters won't consider viable but are indeed viable. you took bac suspended alive in water, and added them to more water, your tank is one big bottle of bac lol. any fish added will be fine.