Water Changing During the Cycle

[LimpyFins]

I'm curious as to how often (and indeed how much) the water should be changed during the initial cycle? I ask here only because I've literally read many different opinions on that matter. I've read, not at all, once a week, once every other day, once a day. What has worked well for those here? I'm starting the 4th week of my tank, and the ammonia level has been high for a solid 2 weeks now. The fish seem to be doing okay, but I want to know what amount of water changing, if any, is best at this point.

I've read adding bacteria starter helps, and I've read that it doesn't help. I've read that changing the water too often negatively affects they cycle by discarding the needed bacteria, and I've read regular small water changes are useful. The pH level is fine (still!) at this point, and I've not yet tested the nitrite/rate levels recently as I know these will both go through a period of fluctuation after the ammonia level settles.

So...will changing some of the water at this point help or hinder the cycle process?

 

[YngUrbanCMH]

I've been hesitant to remove any water from my tank during the cycle (unless ammonia or nitrites get so out of control that my fish are hard to differentiate from my substrate). I've noticed that the higher my ammonia and eventually nitrites go (without killing my fish!) the faster my beneficial bacteria seem to culture.

The main reason I'm hesitent to do water changes (while cycleing) is that I use spring water bcause my tap blows... the spring water I use has really bad buffering capacity (like 0) and I don't want my pH jumping all over the place and making the stress even worse.

 

[impur]

I would do the smallest WC to keep your fish healthy. If the ammonia gets so high it affects the fish, change 10% or so and keep an eye on it. You should see the ammonia drop off any day now. Then you will have nitrites to worry about. The only bacteria starter i would recommend is bio spira. It is a great product. A bit expensive but i have seen it work numerous times. To use it, you add your ENTIRE fish population at the same time as adding the bio spira. Usually this is done just after setting the tank up and gettin the water in it. Your best bet is to see if the lfs will give you some rock out of one of their tanks. This will speed the process. You really don't have to worry about the PH changing while cycling.

 

[dolphin]

Hi LimpyFins

Small water changes will help your fish get through the cycle process. 10-15% water changes twice a week.

 

[LimpyFins]

well after nearly 3 weeks of the ammonia level refusing to come down (though i was making routine small water changes), i was fed up. i was going to rinse the carbon bag in the filter but noticed several days prior that the water level in the filter was rising above the bag and some of it spilling out the intake side. i had rinsed out the filter a few times, but this wasn't helping any.

so, i wondered if it might be a filter issue, and sure enough, after changing the bag altogether the ammonia level dropped a bit within just a few hours. i'm guessing the bag may have been clogged, because the water level had been spilling over the bag from the moment i put it in not even two weeks prior. hopefully it will come down even more when i test it later, as the high ammonia has been frustrating. it's been a month...i wanna dive in and play with my fish!

 

[impur]

Thats good news!!! I'm just curious, what kinda filter do you have? You might consider buying a aquaclear sponge or similar sponge to replace that media bag altogether. Then you could simply squeeze if out in tank water and replace it that way. Should last you over a year and is a great housing for beneficial bacteria.

 

[LimpyFins]

i'm using a Penguin Bio-wheel. it wasn't the filtering device, so much as the filter bag. it was in bad condition. this one's been in use for several days, and no problems! ammonia level is descreasing daily. i can't wait for high nitrates and nitrites! woo hoo