Do I change water during high Ammonia period of cycle in a n

[erasmu]

I have been getting conflicting advice on whether to change out some of the water in my reef tank during the very high ammonia points of the initial cycle. Some, including experienced people from the LFS, say do not change until nitrite has come down. Others say change during high ammonia stage to prevent more die-off. All I have in the tank is live rock and live sand. That was added yesterday. The ammonia is off the scale on my test kit (over 1.0). What is the correct approach? TIA

 

[esmithiii]

I would wait it out. I have had good results with that.

Ernie

 

[Anonymous]

I did a lot of changing, but in retrospect I think it was wrong. As ammonia builds up the pH tends to drop, meaning more ammonia is in the relatively harmless ammonium ion form. If you change water and thus raise the pH, you will actually produce more ammonia than you remove if you aren't careful. So measure the pH first. If the pH is less than say 8.1 don't change any water.

 

[erasmu]

Thanks for the replies. I think I will hold off on the water changes then.

 

[suckair]

I feel that no tank needs to be cycled hard. My last cycle was so soft that I could not even measure a anomia spike. You don't have to let a tank cycle hard to build up abunch of bacteria. It will find it's own balance. If you have new rock and don't want all the hitchiker critters to die.. cycle it soft..