change water while cycling

[benkho]

I'm currently doing the fishless cycling thing for my 1ft cube tank. It's been cycling now for around 1 week, I'm wondering if it's alright to change the water in the tank or should I leave it ?

Correct me if I'm wrong but, BB accumulates in the filter and not the water right? So I was thinking of changing the water...

[Panut]

You can change the water. 50% would be good.

[Quixotic]

The bacteria can colonise on any surface, be it the tank surface, on the gravel, on plants, and so on but the majority is in your filter media where the surface area is the highest. Highest surface area = more area for bacteria to colonise.
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...4&postcount=36

Water change is not necessary in fishless cycling. The idea of water changes while cycling is to ensure that when using fish to cycle the tank, ammonia/nitrite doesn't get to a level where you endanger the fish. Since there is no fish, hence no need for water changes.

However, if it is a planted tank where you are dosing fertilisers etc, then water changes may be needed to "reset" the water parameters (preventing the nutrients from building up).

[Panut]

The bacteria can colonise on any surface, be it the tank surface, on the gravel, on plants, and so on but the majority is in your filter media where the surface area is the highest. Highest surface area = more area for bacteria to colonise.
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...4&postcount=36

Water change is not necessary in fishless cycling. The idea of water changes while cycling is to ensure that when using fish to cycle the tank, ammonia/nitrite doesn't get to a level where you endanger the fish. Since there is no fish, hence no need for water changes.

However, if it is a planted tank where you are dosing fertilisers etc, then water changes may be needed to "reset" the water parameters (preventing the nutrients from building up).

[torque6]

However, if it is a planted tank where you are dosing fertilisers etc, then water changes may be needed to "reset" the water parameters (preventing the nutrients from building up).

Peter did pointed out that if you have a planted tank with either gex or ada, it would be best to perform regular water changes; twice per week during your initial cycling stages.

[benkho]

I only have what I think is java fern tied to a log and a piece of driftwood with fisssiden tied on it. Would that still be counted as planted? The soil I'm using is a fine white sand...so does that difference cause any impact?

As for the food that I placed inside to encourage the growth of bacteria...should some of it be removed sometimes so as it does not accumulate?

The only thing that I've added to the tank is just anti-chlorine...

[torque6]

benk,
If you have a sparingly planted tank, might want to hold on to food and decay food -> NH4 -> algae since theres little BB to following breakdown the ammonia into nitrite->nitrates.

[benkho]

Alright then, thanks very much for the help...