? about nitrate

[gharner]

ammonia and nitrite are both zero. my nitrate is about 40 ppm. how long will it take for it to drop to zero? should i do a partial water change? i havent changed the water yet, the tank has been cycling for aprox. 2 weeks now.

 

[fallnhorse]

Nitrates only drop if you have plant life growth or deep sand bed to harbor anaerobic bacteria for the nitrate to nitrogen gas process. I grow cheatos for this reason. Also cheatos give a place for copepods to reproduce.
So yes, water changes are essential for a new tank. I do water changes but not nearly as many as i did before my tank matured. Live rock will also help with harboring this anaerobic bacteria. It's hard to have it because you want lots of oxygen for life in your tank. So i depend more on photosynthesis for my tank. Each tank is different.

 

[gharner]

sooo, its ok to do a partial water change? and how long until i can add some hermits and snails? ive got an algea bloom. thanks