Dumb question.

[holloway]

I have a 300 gal. 6 weeks old. Livestock is doing well. Tests are going well.
SG 1.023
PH 8.2
Amonia .50
nitrite 0
nitrate 10
copper clear @1ml
Water is clear. Hardly a trace of algae. Feed very little every 4 days.
Question ... Am I ready to do a water change? How much? 10%?What's the best way. If I buy RO DI water I still have to mix that with a salt component like Instant ocean right? Thanks.
350lbs. LR
150lbs LS
Should I use Catalina ocean water? That's what's in there now.

 

[daniel411]

Sounds to me like its slowly starting to come out of its cycle. Up to you if you want to do a water change. I wouldn't do more than a 10-15% water change personally.
As for the RO DI, its highly reccommended. Yes you will still need to mix it with something like Instant Ocean o Reef Crystals, to bring the salinity up and add trace elements.
As for using Catalina ocean water, assuming you're talking about going to the beach and actually picking up buckets of water. I have heard both good and bad regarding using actual ocean water. If you can go quite a bit offshore where the water is less polluted, it might be alright. But you're still never know what you're really putting inside your tank. I'd rather mix my own saltwater and have a general idea.

 

[azeritis]

I think that your ammonia should read 0 before considering a water change. The cycle will be over when all the ammonia is converted to nitrite and then nitrite converted to nitrate.....
The benefecial bacteria must populate your tank to he extend that all ammonia is converted to nitrite. And so on, untill only nitrate can be traced. Changing water is a method to take out nitrate from your system and replenish elements etc in the water.
If your trates are 10 ppm a 10% change will dilute nitrate to 9ppm. Therefore in your first change I would do a more generous change (30%). However, nitrate 10 ppm and under is really good.

 

[lesa]

What livestock do you have?

 

[killafins]

don't do water change... it'll redo the cycle...w ait till everything is like: HOLY COW... IT"S Prefect!!!

 

[dacia]

After the cycle is complete, and the ammonia and nitrites are both down to zero, shouldn't you do a water change to lower the nitrates that have built up? Just curious for when my levels are perfect.

 

[bheron]

For water changes: always mix with salk
For top offf from evaporation: never use the salt

 

[beaslbob]

the only dumb question is the one not asked.
Contiune doing what you are doing. Ammonia needs to be 0.0 as well as nitrItes. The nitrAtes will feed algaes like those on your live rock. I recommend yo add macro algae/marine plants. Either in a fugs or in the display. They will help keep the future algaes in check.
I recommend you do not conduct water changes but just replace the water that evaporates.

 

[holloway]

Thanks for the info everybody. I think I better get a better amonia test kit. I have to approximate this one because none of the colors match my sample. The reason I think it may 50 is because if I were to dillute the opacity of the chart color this ones appears to be closest.
My Livestock are...
9 damsels
2 cleaner shrimp
lawnmower blenny
horseshoe crab
10 turbo snails
25 bunbee snails
feather duster
Leather toadstool
Green zooanthid button polyp
The corals are growing really fast and to be honest I need to upgrade my lighting. I'm using about 200 watts of T5's