My tank has cycled should I do a water change?

[BRCREEF]

Hey guys, my tank just finished cycling today and I was wondering if I should do a water change before adding my first livestock. I will be adding a pair of storm clownfish as my first fish. I used Dr.Tim’s fishless cycle method: Dr. Tim’s ammonia and one and only nitrifying bacteria. It took 15 days to complete. My current water parameters are:

I added 2 ppm of ammonia and it was able to convert to nitrate in 24 hours
PH: 7.8

Ammonia: 0 ppm

Nitrite: 0 ppm

Nitrate: 20 ppm

My tank is a Aqueon 60 gallon breeder

Water volume is 42 gallons

40 pounds of live sand

55 pounds of dry rock

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Yes, it's generally a good idea to do a water change after your cycle and before you add your Clownfish.

Good luck with your tank!

 

[BRCREEF]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Yes, it's generally a good idea to do a water change after your cycle and before you add your Clownfish.

Good luck with your tank!

Thanks for the reply and welcome, what percent water change do you recommend me doing?

 

[lil sumpin]

Welcome to R2R! Sounds like you're cycled and ready to go! I think you should do 40-50% WC and get your storm clowns in there

 

[Fish Fan]

I agree, I'd go for a 50% or even larger water change. I'd try to get the Nitrates down a bit and just kind of "reset" your water parameters after the cycle.

 

[BRCREEF]

Ok, will do, thank you guys for the help!!!

 

[Cell]

Not necessary. Some will do it to lower nitrates after an extended cycle but your level is fine. Won't hurt though.

 

[MnFish1]

Hey guys, my tank just finished cycling today and I was wondering if I should do a water change before adding my first livestock. I will be adding a pair of storm clownfish as my first fish. I used Dr.Tim’s fishless cycle method: Dr. Tim’s ammonia and one and only nitrifying bacteria. It took 15 days to complete. My current water parameters are:

I added 2 ppm of ammonia and it was able to convert to nitrate in 24 hours
PH: 7.8

Ammonia: 0 ppm

Nitrite: 0 ppm

Nitrate: 20 ppm

My tank is a Aqueon 60 gallon breeder

Water volume is 42 gallons

40 pounds of live sand

55 pounds of dry rock

Hi - welcome!!!! just to be clear - there is no way to know that the ammonia was converted to nitrate - or nitrite or something else - or there could be a testing error as well. In either case:.

The way the 2 ppm in 24 hours works is related to ammonia testing - 1. Measure a pre value. 2. Add enough ammonia to get to a measured 2 ppm. and re-measure to verify its 2 ppm, and then measure again in 24 hours (the ammonia). . Nitrate testing for that part of the cycling process is non definitive. the important test is the ammonia when testing early cycle.

Now after all of this babble - My guess is that the ammonia level of 0 - means it processed it in 24 hours?

 

[MnFish1]

By the way - what I meant - If you add 2 ppm ammonia you don't care what the nitrate is - you want to make sure the ammonia tests at 0.

 

[Freenow54]

Not necessary. Some will do it to lower nitrates after an extended cycle but your level is fine. Won't hurt though.

On a tangent you will find that clowns are very tolerant of bad water quality. Just keep that in mind when you start spending $$$$$ on coral. Do tests before adding. Coral will tell you immediately if the water is out of sync. Also clowns are very aggressive and also fight to supposedly establish which one will be male. The female is the larger one and bullying the male is it's favorite thing. I had to get mine out of the overflow continually until it finally ended up on the floor. Even established clowns on there own will breach. Just lost a 2 year old a couple of weeks ago. I'm done with clowns

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

The nitrate cycle is a normal process in an aquarium. A water change after the initial cycle is a waste of salt mix IMHO.


Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

 

[MnFish1]

The nitrate cycle is a normal process in an aquarium. A water change after the initial cycle is a waste of salt mix IMHO.


Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

This is not true, in part. If - someone took a tank with rock and let it sit for 6 months - and added fish - it would probably support those fish. If one is adding ammonia, etc - it is not a 'normal process' - it would take days - or longer - considering stocking density to reach an ammonia production of 2 ppm/day. The method he.she is using is with higher dose ammonia - and thus the nitrate is much higher as well. Nitrate - though not directly 'toxic' in most cases - is an undesirable item to have in your water

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

Sorry wrong quote - should be

MnFish1​

This is not true, in part. If - someone took a tank with rock and let it sit for 6 months - and added fish - it would probably support those fish. If one is adding ammonia, etc - it is not a 'normal process' - it would take days - or longer - considering stocking density to reach an ammonia production of 2 ppm/day. The method he.she is using is with higher dose ammonia - and thus the nitrate is much higher as well. Nitrate - though not directly 'toxic' in most cases - is an undesirable item to have in your water

So, you are saying there is a reasonable need for a water change - nitrates are high.

This is why I would not use ammonia to cycle my tanks. Another thread says his nitrates are 100+ after 8-days of ammonia dosing !

Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

 

[MnFish1]

Sorry wrong quote - should be

MnFish1​

Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

I'm going to answer in a different order, sorry: What exactly would be your protocol to populate obligate autotroph population without ammonia? Second, I said that he could change water - or not. There is no reason to have that high of a nitrate level. However, I think you remember that I also asked him to verify his tests - which would include nitrate.... With the data here - it is not an emergency nor urgency to change any water.

EDIT - realize without going in order its impossible to make sense out of what I meant - so:
You said. "This is why I would not use ammonia to cycle my tanks. Another thread says his nitrates are 100+ after 8-days of ammonia dosing !". I reply: "What exactly would be your protocol to populate obligate autotroph population without ammonia?"

You said: So, you are saying there is a reasonable need for a water change - nitrates are high. I reply: " I said that he could change water - or not. There is no reason to have that high of a nitrate level. However, I think you remember that I also asked him to verify his tests - which would include nitrate.... With the data here - it is not an emergency nor urgency to change any water"

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

I'm going to answer in a different order, sorry: What exactly would be your protocol to populate obligate autotroph population without ammonia? Second, I said that he could change water - or not. There is no reason to have that high of a nitrate level. However, I think you remember that I also asked him to verify his tests - which would include nitrate.... With the data here - it is not an emergency nor urgency to change any water.

I use some sort of fish food - usually small flake food that will start to break down early to ammonia. I also always have another HOB for used filter media.

Well, IMHO 20-ppm nitrate is okay for any new or established aquarium. I think the new trend is to keep nitrates below 30-ppm for coral health.

Personal choice and opinion !


Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

 

[MnFish1]

Well, IMHO 20-ppm nitrate is okay for any new or established aquarium. I think the new trend is to keep nitrates below 30-ppm for coral health.

Personal choice and opinion !


Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

OH - sorry I kind of hid the question - which was (paraphrased) - if you don't want to cycle your tank with ammonia - how would obligate autotrophs populate your rocks?

 

[MnFish1]

I use some sort of fish food - usually small flake food that will start to break down early to ammonia. I also always have another HOB for used filter media.

Well, IMHO 20-ppm nitrate is okay for any new or established aquarium. I think the new trend is to keep nitrates below 30-ppm for coral health.

Personal choice and opinion !


Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

Right - so you're adding fish food (ammonia) - all good. So there really is not a big difference between adding daily ammonia in a drop - as compared to fish food? (that was my point)

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

OH - sorry I kind of hid the question - which was (paraphrased) - if you don't want to cycle your tank with ammonia - how would obligate autotrophs populate your rocks?

Are you saying blowing around ammonia would help to populate the rocks with obligate autotrophs ?

Would small pieces of fish food landing on and near the rocks do the same thing ?
Smearing used filter media bacteria on the glass ?

Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

Right - so you're adding fish food (ammonia) - all good. So there really is not a big difference between adding daily ammonia in a drop - as compared to fish food? (that was my point)

My small amount of fish food does not usually cause my nitrates to climb to 20-ppm or more.

I've heard it said the water in an aquarium contains few bacteria ? I don't trust that enough to drink my tank water !

Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

 

[MnFish1]

It contains a lot of bacteria - but - most of the filtration Bacteria live on/in your rocks, etc. Thus - you could do a 100% water change in a cycled tank (carefully) - without a problem - though I am only really saying that for illustration that water changes do not probably significantly alter your bacteria - and if so - only a short time (I.e. 100% water change will also remove nutrients for the bacteria in the rock, etc)