When to do first water change?

[Stuckita]

Hey everyone, ran a fishless cycle using turbo start 900 + fishless fuel, just shy of 2 weeks I got the ok from my LFS to put a couple clowns in. I forgot to ask about when I should complete my first water change. Any thoughts?

The clowns seem to be doing fine but I'm not 100% sure what normal behavior is. Fun & stunning little guys though.

 

[Dbichler]

What are your nitrates and phosphates?

 

[Stuckita]

My test kit is unreliable. I would guess between 20-60. My nitrite shows 2-5ppm on my test kit but 0 on the shops test kits (mine are API). I've been weary to test the nitrate ever since..so trying to estimate based on time until I can get a better test kit.

 

[Dbichler]

If you have nitrites yet your nitrate reading will be off. Since you have living fish in there you can toss out or not use the ammonia or nitrite kits. Phosphate and nitrate are the only important ones before adding corals. Just find a schedule of water changes and stick to it. If nitrate gets above twenty do more frequent water changes or larger water changes. If phosphate gets too high run some chemo pure to bring it down just never bottom either out. Keep your salinity between 1.025-1.026 and your good.

 

[FiveGallonSea]

Get a decent test kit and do a water change.

 

[Stuckita]

If you have nitrites yet your nitrate reading will be off. Since you have living fish in there you can toss out or not use the ammonia or nitrite kits. Phosphate and nitrate are the only important ones before adding corals. Just find a schedule of water changes and stick to it. If nitrate gets above twenty do more frequent water changes or larger water changes. If phosphate gets too high run some chemo pure to bring it down just never bottom either out. Keep your salinity between 1.025-1.026 and your good.

kk, thanks for the reply. So just begin a water change, say tomorrow, than do them on sundays from here on out?

 

[Seansea]

kk, thanks for the reply. So just begin a water change, say tomorrow, than do them on sundays from here on out?

Sounds like a plan

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I can’t see a reason to do a water change.

 

[MnFish1]

My test kit is unreliable. I would guess between 20-60. My nitrite shows 2-5ppm on my test kit but 0 on the shops test kits (mine are API). I've been weary to test the nitrate ever since..so trying to estimate based on time until I can get a better test kit.

API test kits are not necessarily any more or less reliable than other kits if used correctly (my opinion). But - having a 3 fold variation is not acceptable to make any decision about water changes (i.e. 20-60). Especially with nitrite present.

Once you decide what your nitrate is - you can use this calculator to help determine how many water changes you will need to get to the level you want. https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/EffectOfWaterChanges.php