WC during Cycle

[boerkie]

I started my tank cycle on March 19. Ammonia started dropping April 1, Nitrite has been increasing since then as well as Nitrate. I raise my ammonia to between 2-3ppm and within 24 hrs its back to 0ppm.

As of tonight:
Nitrite : >3.3ppm (my test kit only show up to 3.3 and the color i am getting is much darker)
Nitrate : >110ppm (same as nitrite, darker than the last color on the test sheet)

My question is, do I have to do a WC right now to get those numbers down?

I know that when Nitrites go back down to 0 I need to do at least a 90% WC to get the Nitrates down before adding fish.

I have driftwood in the tank with flame and java moss, only about a golfball size in moss.

Thank you

[Akili]

Do a large water change of 75% to 90% to reduce the nitrates to 20 ppm or less.Add ammonia after the water change to bring the level back up to 3 or 4 ppm.

[MendoMan]

I've done a fishes cycle twice, successfully, and never did a water change until the nitrites also dropped to zero in twenty-four hours.

[Kyla]

ive heard letting levels climb too high can slow the cycle process. i dont know the theory behind it, but i dont see why a wc would harm the process at all so doesnt hurt to try.

[Willie]

It doesn't seem like there's any fish in your tank. If so, leave it alone. Let it cycle completely. You'll know when nitrite = 0. Any detectable nitrite means that the cycle is not complete.

Changing water at this point would only delay the cycle.

Willie

[boerkie]

Thanks for the replies. Since my first post ive done 2 90% water changes. Filled it with tap water and added seachem prime. Tested right after and it didnt make much of a dent in my nitrites and nitrates. Added ammonia to get it to 2.4 ppm. Next day ammonia was back down to 0. Nitrite has been >3.3 since April 6 and Nitrate higher than 110.

Yes this is the fishless cycle. Just leave it, or keep changing water? Or are both methots acceptable, seem to be getting advice for both. Thanks

[Willie]

In a fishless cycle, there is no point to changing water until the cycle is complete.

Willie

[DJW]

Yes this is the fishless cycle. Just leave it, or keep changing water? Or are both methots acceptable, seem to be getting advice for both. Thanks

Either way the cycle will eventually be finished, if it isn't already.

Here is a thread on the same topic:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...t=#post1255820

[100fuegos]

At some point when the no3 are off the chart the bb will stop feeding so a big WC is needed to keep things going.

Check this out, quite a lot of very interesting first hand info there.