What do I do at this point in cycle??

[Armani]

Hi guys thanks for the help in advanced, this is my first reef tank I’m setting up and I’m brand new to this. I have a 50 gallon with live rock and sand and also dry rock, there’s a 110 tidal as a filter for now. At this point in cycle I’m wondering should I do a water change since my nitrates are so high? Or just leave it, will it stall the cycle? I want my nitrites to build up well enough so they can eat the ammonia, I don’t want to ruin the cycle doing a wc. Also if I do have to do a wc do I keep dosin with ammonia to feed the nitrites?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Hi guys thanks for the help in advanced, this is my first reef tank I’m setting up and I’m brand new to this. I have a 50 gallon with live rock and sand and also dry rock, there’s a 110 tidal as a filter for now. At this point in cycle I’m wondering should I do a water change since my nitrates are so high? Or just leave it, will it stall the cycle? I want my nitrites to build up well enough so they can eat the ammonia, I don’t want to ruin the cycle doing a wc. Also if I do have to do a wc do I keep dosin with ammonia to feed the nitrites?

Looks like your in the middle of your cycle. What you want to do is keep testing. Dose ammonia to 2 parts per million, wait until ammonia hits 0 and dose again. Keep doing this until you're able to dose 2 parts per million ammonia and test for 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites after 24 hours, then do a couple of water changes to bring your nitrates down.

 

[Idoc]

^^ Awesome sound advice!

 

[Armani]

Will my nitrites have trouble depleting because my nitrates are already high?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I’d say wait some more.

If you just wait 4 weeks itll also probaly show zero ammoina. Then it’s cycling.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

No. It’ll be fine. The Bacteria will also eat the nitrates.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Will my nitrites have trouble depleting because my nitrates are already high?

Nope. Actually the way it works is the bacteria in your tank takes ammonia and breaks it down into nitrite, and then nitrites are broken down into nitrates.

 

[Armani]

No. It’ll be fine. The Bacteria will also eat the nitrates.

I thought nothing eats nitrates that’s why you have to do a water change

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I thought nothing eats nitrates that’s why you have to do a water change

After the cycle you have an excess of nitrates due to the large spike you added. So you do a large water change. As the bio filter (bacteria) catch up , the begin to consume the nitrates.

You may have heard of carbon dosing or vodka or nopox dosing to reduce nutrients. All that does is feed the bacteria (sugar) so you have a larger bacterial population so they consume more nutrients. No3 Po4. Nitrate and phosphates.

The actual point of the first big water change is to reduce the amount of no3 tonhelp slow down the growth of algaes and cyano bacteria that can bloom due to large amount of nutrients. You actually don’t “need” to do that water change. It just helps keep the ugly phase in check.