Which is better for the tank? (cycle fast, or keep changeing?)

[laeelin]

It's now 6 days into the cycle..

I had a sponge die and cause a huge ammonia spike while I was working (came home to 5ppm) .. I've been able to keep the ammonia at about 1ppm (sometimes as high as 2ppm other times as low as .50) by doing MANY MANY water changes. (as many as 4 in one day, mostly 2 a day though.. Most of the water changes are 80%)

Are my water changes extending this spike and causing more damage to the tank than a higher, but shorter spike would? I know that the stuff on the rock looks the "happiest" before I do a waterchange.

I'm asking because from some reading I've done it sounds like changing the water to much will greatly lengthen the cycle(and hurt the surviving stuff)..

 

[loserkidz]

i am assuming you are just cycling the tank with live rock only, I wquld just let it go through its course, you will have you ammonia spike and then you nitrites will turn into nitrates and you should be set within a week or two. Then I would do a 20% water change.

 

[docklink]

It's a bit of a compromise or balancing act. When you change out the water, you are diluting the amount of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates in the water, lowering them to an amount that is less harmful to the critters in the tank. The problem is that it also dilutes (lowers) the number of denitrifing (is that a word?) bacteria also; the very ones you are trying to encourage to develop for the purpose of ammonia/nitirite/nitrate conversion. Try to change out only enough water to drop your ammonia level below 1ppm. Many small water changes would be better than a few large changes IMO. Of course, real life tends to interfere, so we can only do the best we can

 

[laeelin]

The problem is that after 2 80% water changes in 2 hours... I still read 1ppm in a hour or two..

 

[loserkidz]

:eek1: :eek1: :eek1:

 

[laeelin]

Basically from what I understand, most of the tank died from the first sponge.

This isnt the normal TBS cycle =/

 

[snooter1]

How big is the tank. Seems like alot of water changes

 

[lonny akins]

I know this is hindsight but i cycled my tank for 3 weeks with uncured rock before i got my package from tbs and never had to do a water change. i hope it works out for you

 

[laeelin]

update: Ammonia at ~.5 after 48 hours without a water change... I'm so happy =)

Considering I'm still cycling that's great to see!

Just wish I hadn't lost so much.. Thankfully there is still a lot of life =)