Ammonia, Cycle, and Water Change question

[mterrace]

Hi Again....
I have a new 90 gallon DT, with a 55 gallon fuge...I am cycling the tank/curing the LR and my ammonia is between 2.5 and 5....(Nitrites are at 0.2)
My make up water container is about 30 gallons...so when I am doing water changes, I am doing 30 gallon water changes....the ammonia is only coming down to about 2.5....
Is that acceptable -- or is 2.5 still too high? (I read that you should do a water change when Ammonia gets above 1). My RO/DI unit makes the water in about 15-18 hours....so I can do 30 gallons/day water changes....
Thanks in advance,
Mark

 

[aztec reef]

The only reason you should do a water change to keep the Ammonia below 1 is to save some critters in live rock that could be beneficial. But you don't have to.

 

[mterrace]

So should I just let the Ammonia spike, until it starts to cycle?? Or should I let it get to something higher, like 10?
Thanks,
Mark

 

[reefkprz]

I wouldnt let ammonia go as high as ten because it will definatly kill almost everything on the rock that make LR Live other than some bacteria that will recolonize. basicly if you let it go all the way to 10 your turning it into expensive base rock with MAybe a little life left but not much. I reccomend keeping it under 1, less than 0.5 is better. IMO

 

[aztec reef]

defenetly don't let it get to 10, Just keep it around 1.
IMO 0.5 is ideal, But when you're teaching your tank to neutralize Ammonia, the more the better. But not so much that it will risk Lossing life in LR.
Personally i wouldn't go past 1 or 1.5 at the most.

 

[mterrace]

So this is my problem -- My Make up water tank is 30 gallons....my RO/DI takes 18 hours to fill it up....Even with changing 30 gal/day, I haven't been able to get it below 2.5.....I'll keep it as low as I can during the cycle....Any other ideas (besides getting a bigger make up tank

)
Thanks,
Mark