Cycling - H20 Changes: To Change or not to Change?

[gamma]

During the cycling process, are water changes recommended or are they only done after fish have been introduced into the tank? I have heard opinions that you should always do water changes even during cycling and I have heard opinions that water changes shouldn't be done during cycling since it only extends the cycling process.

Who's right?

[Black_Raven]

don't change the water, just be patient and wait the 6 weeks it takes to cycle the tank, The tank can be cycled quicker with the use of live sand, live rock and marineland biospira added to the tank. *Make sure you put some food in the tank to decay so some ammonia is created to fuel the nitrogen cycle. *Check your ammonia levels every other day till it spikes and then declines, *Then start checking the nitrite levels every other day once the ammonia spikes. *When the nitrite spikes then start checking the nitrates and start skimming

I am one that says don't change the water. Also use a skimmer 24/7 during the cycle. I like putting frozen shrimp in the sump when first starting cycle.
Put in all your LS and LR at the start. (Don't add more during cycle)

I do not like any type of additives that will speed up cycle.
Go slow and let it grow is the saying here so let it cycle naturally.

BR I gave you some Karma because I hate see the zero there.

[Craig Manoukian]

I would do water changes only when your levels have been high enough to create the dentrifying bacteria levels in your tank. The ammonia has to be In the yellow or very elevated zone, Red Sea Test Kit, for at least a couple of weeks. From ammonia the denitrifying bacteria will convert it to nitrites and then nitrates, you must let this process occur to have a complete cycle.

Small water changes there after are fine to reduce nitrates.

[gamma]

I do have LS & LR in the tank now. It's been 10 days and I haven't detected any ammonia yet. Is it still too early for the tests to detect anything?

(I did a 5% water change a couple days ago before I made this post, not knowing that it would slow down the process...)

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah you probably slowed it down with the change. Doing anything to speed it up like throwing a piece of shrimp in there?

[JOER0178]

WHAT TYPE OF LS DID YOU USE

[Craig Manoukian]

Get an old pair of panty hose, put some raw shrimp in the toe, and cut to al ength where you can tie a not. This will make getting the shrimp out after the cycle veryy easy and way less messy!

[gamma]

so i should place the shrimp into the sump? Now I have the skimmer running in the sump. Is that ok?

So will my living room smell like a fish market w/ the decaying shrimp in my sump?

[JOER0178]

1 used lr/ls in my tank and i put in a couple of cocktail shrimp in my sump. they completely decayed (btw it didnt smell up the house) but i never got an ammonia or nitite or nitrate spike. i used a brand of sand called instant cycle and my rock was cured rock. i dont know why i didnt get a cycle very weird. but this might be the case w/ u to gamma thats why i asked what brand of sand you used