Is it OK to do a RODI water change when ending fishless cycle?

Similar

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Location
Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi all, after 14 days with the help of Dr Tim in an 80 gallon setup with dry rock, my ammonia/nitrite levels are looking good! Testing around 0.1/0.2ppm, 24 hours post top up with 2ppm Ammonia.

My nitrate levels levels are literally off the charts though! Reading above 100ppm on the Salifert kit for the past 5 days, and given i've been dumping 2ppm Ammonia in for the past 5 days in a row I can only imagine it to be way above that.

In order to get the nitrate levels down before introducing some clowns, I was hoping to get some opinions on doing a massive water change using RODI water, then draining and replenishing with a suitable saltwater mix?

Only issue I could imagine this poses would be if a super low salinity would adversely impact the bacteria living on my rocks?

Would be great to get your thoughts, or any other advice on the best way forward :)

Thanks!
 

|Tom the Bomb|

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 6, 2020
Messages
376
Reaction score
271
Location
Toronto, ON, Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
couldn't u do a regular water change though? what ur saying is risky and unpredictable I've never done it but I can only imagine it isn't good
just do a standard water change(s) drain 50% of water and fill it back up again with mixed sw or u could do 2 30% if u can't do 1 massive one it's only 30ish gallons of water every change
or u could be lazy and install a refugium ur chaetos gonna grow so fast and nutrates are gonna go down if u don't have space an algae reactor or algae scrubber works too
 

Darsh

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 4, 2018
Messages
497
Reaction score
451
Location
Poland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don’t know for sure but I would imagine that would\could decimate the bacterial population and hurt or kill many other organisms.
I personally wouldn’t try.
I just replace as much as possible with fresh saltwater maybe 70-80%
 

chipmunkofdoom2

Always Making Something
View Badges
Joined
Jun 6, 2017
Messages
2,417
Reaction score
4,497
Location
Baltimore, MD
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What would be the benefit of doing this? If you significantly dilute your salinity today with a freshwater change and you have to do significant water changes later with saltwater, aren't you just using the exact same amount of saltwater, if not more?
 

BradVol

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 3, 2020
Messages
126
Reaction score
78
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The bacteria has a lower limit on survivability. I can’t recall for sure but I think it’s around 14 ppt. And they don’t like the quick changes in salinity. I wouldn’t recommend that personally, although it could work just fine.
 

LeftyReefer

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 17, 2020
Messages
2,535
Reaction score
2,821
Location
Saginaw
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If no livestock in the tank yet, then just do a 100% WC with fresh saltwater mix. I wouldn't use the RODI rinse.... i'm sure it could be done and wouldn't kill all the bacteria, but I imagine it would kill some. Seems an unnecessary waste of good RODI water to me though, and I'm not sure what you would gain doing that vs just doing a regular 100% water change.

I too had high nitrates in my tank after cycling with ammonia, but fixed it with a couple large water changes... I think I did a 50% change first and then did another 65% change a few days later. After that, my nitrates were down to a manageable level again. Next time, I'm not going to dose so much ammonia.
 
OP
OP
S

Similar

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Location
Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks for the input all, i figured a RODI WC may cut down on salt wastage but based on your feedback it doesn't seem worth the risk.

Will also look at getting the refugium up and running - previously I thought it would be too early in the setup to think about, but upon review seems like theres nothing stopping me from getting one going now.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 68 37.2%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 62 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.7%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.3%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top