Re: Water Test Results.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14759759#post14759759 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MrMoses
Okay, I am cycling my tank with uncured vanuatu, it has been going for 2 weeks. I am not showing:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: .25
Nitrate: 0
How can my Ammonia and Nitrite be going down and my Nitrate drop to 0 without a water change? Is there something going on in my tank that gets rid of the Nitrates without my help?
this is exactly what should happen.
ammonia spikes---aerobic bacteria cycle and break it down to nitrites
nitrites spike and anerobic bacteria cycle and break them down to nitrates
nitrates spike and anoxic bacteria break down the nitrates to nitrogen gas
this is why you wait until the spiked nitrates have gone down to zero---you biological filtration is now in place and you are ready to add stuff to your tank.
some reefers may do a water change if they are trying to preserve life hitch hiking in on the live rock. If the ammonia gets too high it will kill off the life so they do a water change.
Otherwise if you cycle your tank with partly to cured rock then you should not have to do a water change.