Wc schedule

[Sandnukka15]

So my 65 has been set up for about 3 months and my skimmer barely seems to get any skimate so i have been checking my perams weekly and get close to 0 amonia..... the tank is def cycled but am i not getting skimate or amonia since my stock is low

65 gallon fowlr with 20 long sump and 75 lbs of live rock

2 clowns
1 firefish
1 cardinal fish
1 yellow watchman goby
1 scooter dragonet

7 snails mostky asthrea and ceriths

1 chocolate chip starfish
1 emerald crab

[Sandnukka15]

The amonia had gone up when the tank was cycling but has been at 0 in the past 6-8 weeks..... i have only done a 10 gallon water change 4 times in the last 8 weeks .... is this normal?

[Irishman360]

You shouldn't have any ammonia if your tank is cycled. How long has the skimmer been running? Is it new and just put in? Do you run it dry?

[Irishman360]

You don't want any ammonia in the tank at all. 0 ammonia = happy fish same with nitrites.

[Sandnukka15]

The skimmer has been running for a month it gets some skimate but not a lot..... i was thinking this was bc of my low stock?....... yes i know amonia should be zero but i didnt change any of the water for 3 weeks and it was still zero?.... i thought there should be at least some amonia present if i didnt change any water for 3 weeks?..... again is this bc of low stock that my amonia isnt rising?........ its obv a good thing im just curious since im use to wc on all my freshwater tanks..... does it take a lot more waste in saltwater tanks to produce amonia?

[Sandnukka15]

Also the rest of my readings arw

Ph 7.8
Nitrate 5
Nitrite 0

[disc1]

I don't know that I would call that a low stock level.

If your tank has cycled then it you shouldn't see any more ammonia at all no matter the stocking level. The bacteria in the tank are removing it as fast as it is being produced.

[Sandnukka15]

Are the nitrate levels ok?

[Sandnukka15]

If your amonia doesnt rise when do u know its time for a wc?

[CStrickland]

you just change the water on a regular schedule. I like 10% weekly for the first year at least. In your shoes I'd prolly do 5g just cause the buckets are easy to manage.

You don't wait for the water to get dirty, you stay ahead of it. The bacteria are changing the nitrogen from its ammonia form to its nitrate form. There are some other bacteria to change the nitrate into a gas but they aren't as strong while the tank is young. Besides removing the waste N and other nutrients, regular changes keep other parameters like alk and calcium etc. steady because they come in the salt mix to make up for what your tank consumes.

nitrate 5 is fine for now, if you get more advanced corals you'll prolly want to get it below 1ppm but that's a ways down the road.

PS if you are new to skimmers you might want to play with the settings to get it to skim "wetter" if it's really not pulling anything. I like skimmate that looks like brewed tea if that helps.

PPS an alkalinity test is more useful for saltwater tanks than ph

[Sandnukka15]

Thanks I'll do 5 gallons a week