Tank Cycling / Water Change

[frommzie]

OK....About 10 days into my cycle. I was thinking of doing my first water change. Some friends of mine told me to never disturb the sand bed when doing a water chnage (don't siphon the gravel). Is this true? Should I leave the sand bed alone and just replace water?

Biocube 29 Gallon
30 lbs live rock
20 lbs live sand
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrite
20 Nitrate

Still waiting for the skimmer.

Thanks,
Chris: fun4:

 

[drummereef]

First, I'd wait until the cycle was totally complete before you do your first water change. If you have a fine aragonite sand bed, not crushed coral, then you don't vacuum the sand. That's what your cleanup crew is for. If yo have crushed coral then I would vacuum at every water change. Only add the cleanup crew after the cycle is totally complete.

By the looks of it, you are almost there. I'd make sure the tank has stabilized then go ahead and add the crew.

 

[frommzie]

Thanks! I used the Carib-Alive sand. I just saw some algae patches (not a slime algae) within the last 4 days - very dark on a few of the rocks - could've been there originally, not sure. Just didn't know what that was....The lights have never been on...