Water Changes: Is there a proper way?

[Jediagh]

I'm still in fishless cycling mode but my NITRATE has been thru to roof lately 80+!
So I figure I do a series of water changes to get it down. I did 4 - 20% water changes today. Basically this is what I did:

1) I took out 20% water (have it measured on my tank) by putting the water in a bucket
2) poured it out on the lawn
3) fill the bucket with dechlorinated water
4) pour the new water into tank

repeated the steps 4 time to do an 80% water change. Is this correc? Or should I have taken 80% of the water right at the start?

Thanks

 

[canarsie11]

What are your other water test results?

Why are you doing water changes if you have no fish?

The only time you should be doing water change during fishless cycle is when you done cycling and you want to bring down nitrates to get fish

 

[ajhainey]

Not quite - but close enough, its actually slightly less as with each later change you are also taking out some 'fresh' as well as some old...I could work out the exact % assuming immediate water distribution, but I can't be bothered (and am at work!). If you really want to do an exact 80% water change you can just take out 4 buckets then put four back in - although if there were fish in the tank 40-50% is the largest I would ever do.

aj xx

 

[Becca]

My understanding is when you do your fishless cycle, you know your cycle is finished because you'll have a huge nitrate spike and 0 nitrites. After your tank has been that way for a few days (able to convert the additional ammonia to nitrites then to nitrates within 24 hours...) you're cycle is complete.

At that point, you're ready to add fish - but (unless you have plants) the nitrates won't disappear unless you do a water change. Every article I've seen has said to do a 50% water change and that's it. I've not heard of doing 80%.

Additionally, I'm not sure doing an 80% water change in the same day is such a wise idea. If it were me, I would have done 50% the first day, and if still necessary, done the additional 30% the next day since most bacteria (including the good stuff) need about 24 hours to replenish themselves.

Perhaps if you posted test results for your current water we could help help you determine what to do from here.

 

[gadazobe]

Becca is right, if your nitrate levels are high and your ammonia and nitrite are at 0, then your tank has completed its' cycle. If this is the case, then do your water change and add some fish. Plants will help keep the nitrate level down, but if you don't have any plants, then the only way to keep the nitrate down is doing water changes regularly.

 

[Jediagh]

Here are my numbers.

8-17
Ammonia: 4
Nitirie: 0
Nitrate: 80

8-18
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20

I had a Nitrate spike on day 15. Form days 1 to 14 my Nitriate was at 10 and then it spiked to 80! I have been adding 100 drops of ammonia each day since the start of my cycling.

 

[Becca]

It looks like your cycle is complete. Basically, here's an overview of what you'll see in a Fishless Cycle:

Day 1 - Added Ammonia - you'll have tons of Ammonia and relatively nothing for Nitrite and Nitrates. Some Days Later, you'll have 0 Ammonia and a TON of Nitrites because the bacteria has been able to convert the Ammonia down to Nitrites. A few days after that, your Nitrites will work themselves down to 0 and you'll end up with a HUGE amount of Nitrates.

Once you get your Nitrate spike, unless you have plants, they won't go anywhere except up since it's at the end of the cycle. If you have plants, but otherwise, they just sit and collect...unless you do a water change (this is one of the reasons why regular water changes are important...)

From your readings from the 17th and the 18th, it sounds like your cycle has completed. To verify this, I'd add Ammonia to your tank (however much you've been adding all along) and then 24 hours later test it to make sure that the Ammonia is at 0, the Nitrites are at 0 and you have some Nitrates. Essentially what you want to happen is for your benefecial bacteria to be able to break down ammonia and convert it to Nitrites then to Nitrates within 24 hours.

Hope this helps and I didn't confuse you too much...I'm tired and my writing / proofing is a bit sloppy.

 

[Jediagh]

Thanks! All this time I have been waiting for a NITRITE spike!
I added the same amount of ammonia today and will test tomorrow. How many days should I test to make sure I "really" am done with cycling? Would 3 days in a row be good? Not that I have much in terms of fish to put in.

All I got is a corry catfish. But he is going to be moving from a small 3/4 gallon tank to a nice big 10 gal tank. What on earth will he do with all that space.

poop of course!

 

[Becca]

3 days is just fine.

 

[squidlips]

I'm still in fishless cycling mode but my NITRATE has been thru to roof lately 80+!
So I figure I do a series of water changes to get it down. I did 4 - 20% water changes today. Basically this is what I did:

1) I took out 20% water (have it measured on my tank) by putting the water in a bucket
2) poured it out on the lawn
3) fill the bucket with dechlorinated water
4) pour the new water into tank

repeated the steps 4 time to do an 80% water change. Is this correc? Or should I have taken 80% of the water right at the start?

Thanks

in wot manner did you remove the water it matters

 

[Jediagh]

squidlips, I bought one of those gravel cleaning tooks from PetsMart. Its a long thick cylinder with a smaller tube about 15 feet long.

I bascially put the long thick cylinder in the tank, pumped it up and down (not touching anything in the tank) and the water began to come out and into my bucket. When the water reached the 20% marker (note 1) I stopped the waterflow. Took the bucket of water out and dumped it on the lawn. Then used tap water to fill the bucket and then added a dechlorinator used a fish net to swirl the water and after a minute of mixing put that water back into the tank.

I repeated these steps another 3 times to do an 80% (4 x 20%) water change. Or at least I though it was an 80% water change. But based on what others have told me I indeed did NOT do an 80% water change but a little less since with every "adding of water" and then taking out I was taking out some of the "good water".

Note 1:
When I first set up the tank I placed masking tape at the 20, 40, 60, and 80 percent water lines.

ps.
Water values on 8-19
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10

This is day 2 in a row of good values!

 

[Becca]

I would think that would be fine. Just remember, when doing your normal water changes, you'll want to stick the cylinder in your gravel to help suck up any debris down there.

 

[squidlips]

squidlips, I bought one of those gravel cleaning tooks from PetsMart. Its a long thick cylinder with a smaller tube about 15 feet long.

I bascially put the long thick cylinder in the tank, pumped it up and down (not touching anything in the tank) and the water began to come out and into my bucket. When the water reached the 20% marker (note 1) I stopped the waterflow. Took the bucket of water out and dumped it on the lawn. Then used tap water to fill the bucket and then added a dechlorinator used a fish net to swirl the water and after a minute of mixing put that water back into the tank.

I repeated these steps another 3 times to do an 80% (4 x 20%) water change. Or at least I though it was an 80% water change. But based on what others have told me I indeed did NOT do an 80% water change but a little less since with every "adding of water" and then taking out I was taking out some of the "good water".

Note 1:
When I first set up the tank I placed masking tape at the 20, 40, 60, and 80 percent water lines.

ps.
Water values on 8-19
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10

This is day 2 in a row of good values!

yes good but the cylnder must be pushed lighty into the gravel .the sand lifts a bit breaks and falls lifting the crap out and away moove cylinder over and repeat until you have removed your percentage .then as you did replacing it .. the crap or and dead foliage are the starters of nitrite amonia problems ..you dont have to be exact with the quantity removed near enuf is good enuf do it weekly or fortnightly pending on grunge amount up to you ....i keep from 1 to 3 thousand or more fish of all sizes and couldnt tell you how to test amonia or nitrite or any of those things ...just syphen and ph i am verry succesfull with this method alone of corse some ep helps .i think thertes too mutch chems in the average aq cupboard .good luck and be well .

 

[Jediagh]

Well all tomorrow I'll be FINALLY adding my corry catfish (AKA "30") into the finished cycled tank! I'm in the process of heating the water now and sometime tomorrow I'll be adding "30" along with some more plants.

Thanks all!