Water Changes

[MeReefBeef]

Hello Everyone.
I just started up my first 12 gallon SW tank. I'm eventually going to put corals in it. My tank is still cycling. Do I have to change the water while its still cyling? I just wanted to know how often I have to do water changes...and in what quantity? Thanks in advance. :mixed:

[an411]

No you dont have to do water changes when cycling. the normal amount of water changes is 10% every week. I do mine about every 2 weeks so its really up to you

[fatrip]

no water changes during cycle. the water change depends on how many corals you will have in your tank. since you have only 12 gallons you will probibly have to do water changes every week to keep the trace elemnts in the water. i would do a 10% each week if you are going to be heavily stocking the tank with corals. but start by using your test kits. and if the ammonia is spiking i would do weekly water changes to start off.

[whosinpower]

Sorry to disagree with the above posters. I would say it would depend on the quality of liverock you have - if it is cured or uncured.

If it is cured, then you are probably good to wait it out, but if it is uncured, then you will have an enormous ammonia spike because there is so much dieoff on the rock. I would then do fairly robust water changes to try to keep the ammonia at or below 1. There is still plenty to kick start the cycle.

I had uncured rock - and my ammonia was almost off the scale - it was so high! I was afraid the toxic stew would kill all life - and I wanted to preserve as much as I could - I paid for that life, after all. And when you have as much ammonia as I did - the following nitrite spike and nitrate spike were enormous as well - which could lead to a huge algae outbreak if I did nothing about it. After my ammonia was 0 or close to 0, I did a 50% water change in an effort to detour the oncoming mother of all algae breakouts.

I now do 10% water changes once a week, and my parameters are good, although nitrates are testing below 5, I am assuming this is because algae is taking up the nitrates. Clean up crew is doing a heroic battle and tank is looking better day by day. Skimmer is also working hard and am emptying cup every other day.

[fatrip]

that is what the cycle is there is a certian amount of die off which creates an amonia spike. then as the tank cycles the bacteria which procces amonia build up and take the amonia out of the water. this is what the cycle is to get bateria to grown in order to put life into the tank.....pleeeeeeeease dont put any life in until atleast a month into your cycle or you will have to do water changes to keep those fish alive as well as prolong the cycle process. but starting out wth better rock is always the way to go.