so after my cycle....

[rcdude1990]

wat should i do
i saw someone said that jus finished there cycle and did a 50 % water change????
wats the point of doin a cycle if u take out 1/2 the water?????
should i do this???
or should i go out and buy some nice lookin fish????

 

[swim]

doing a water change will dilute your nitrATES, or reduce them to a lower number, if you leave it in there you run a higher risk of getting alot more algae.

 

[rcdude1990]

so should i do a water change or not?????
im srry but the last comment didnt really make sence to me

 

[nereef]

if your cycle is done (0 amm, 0 nitrite, >0 nitrate) you should start your water change rituals.
one of the reasons we do water changes is to bring nitrate #s down. this has little to do with your cycle, since the bacteria lives, for the most part, on the hard surfaces of the tank (rock, substrate, etc.)

 

[gatorwpb]

You dont need to do 50% WC. After my cycle completed, I did weekly 20% changes for a couple weeks. I never had high nitrites, but the WC puts back the trace elements that are used up during the cycle.

 

[poniegirl]

Originally Posted by NEreef
this has little to do with your cycle, since the bacteria lives, for the most part, on the hard surfaces of the tank (rock, substrate, etc.)

The cycle produces the bacteria that control the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. They do "dwell" on hard surface. In LR, also. That's why it is such a great natural bio-filter. The bacteria can be found in the water, but not in any significant amounts.
Water changes of 15 to 20 % should be done regularly, weekly or bi-weekly depending on the size of your tank and the bio-load (how many critters you have). This is for freshness and will correct nitrate issues, if you have them.
Fish should not be added until your cycle is done.

 

[rcdude1990]

ok cool i jus got one more question and ill b set
i have a 45 gallon, 10 gallon wet/dry, 40 lbs of LS and 30 lbs of LR
wen i do waterchanges can i get a 5 gallon bucket, fill it wit water and then add salt mix and then throw it into my tank after i take out 5 gallons from my tank?

 

[poniegirl]

It's just never quite simple enough.
Ideally, you will have the water prepared ahead of time. 24 hours will allow chlorine and metals to dissipate and you should also use a stress reducing formula, of course salt according to the instructions. Get your change water temperate to the tank. Often in the summer or fair climate areas, room temp is close, but test it for temp as well as SG, before you add it to your tank.
A number of folks here purchase RO (reverse osmosis) water instead of using tap. They swear by it. I just can't get there.
I also like whiskey.
I would suggest pouring the water into the tank, instead of the throwing method.