recycle tank

I just got a 125g and used well water...I do have an ro system and am making water to change it...my cycle period is now in the nitrite stage... 3 weeks so far..if i change the water now will I have to start the cycle system over...I have live rock, live sand and 4 damsels. Would appreciate different opinions...thanks.

Joyce

I'm not sure I follow. You do have RO but used well water? Goingpostal doesn't have problems when she doesn't use RO but I sure did. What does your water test before it runs through the RO?

I didn't have ro water ready at the time I started it up...my reading is over 200 before it runs through the ro. so if i drain the tank and add my ro now will I have to go through the recycle period again...or is the live rocks that are cycling not the water?

it will cycle again if you drain it completely. you will be pulling all the bacteria out of the tank other than what will be left in the sand.
I would just start over and rewait the cycle. 200 is to high.

Thanks for your opinion..so its just not the live rocks and live sand that is cycling but also the water? Is that correct?

That is correct. But at 200 i agree i would probably just bite the bullet and start over. You will thank yourself in the long run.

ok..my cycle is in the nitrite stage with brown algae on live rocks..if I start over like you suggest ...do I scrub the algae off the rocks..rinse the live sand..do I use my halides or no lights at all? I have 4 damsels...do I get rid of the fish? Sorry for so many questions.

depends what you want to do with your live rock, i would at a minimum scrub it but i would probably just put it in muratic acid and make it dead rock and start over. bring the damsels somewhere or create a hospital tank.

ok..thanks for the info.

I would wait the cycle out and do bigger wc's. Why would changing 100% of the water mess with the lr to have to give it a acid bath? When I did planted tanks I did 50%wc every week and didn't see a cycle after each, I have read that people with nano's do 50-100% wc in reefs and no problems. I don't agree with the bateria being in the water as there is some but most, Say 90% is in the sand and lr, draining it will expose the rock and sand to air so you will take a step back in the cycle and have some of the bactiria die off from this but won't kill all of it. I think the biggest draw back to draing it is the starting over of the rock curing. The algea should come off the rocks with a powerhead blowing on them and is typical of cycling a new tank. This is my .02.

thanks for your imput..I was hoping not to have to change the water until the cycling was done...why do I have to start over curing the rocks.. if I will only be losing some bacteria..curing the rocks how..what do you mean?

You won't have to start over with curing just it would take longer if you drain and refill the tank. From what I understand from reading when I set mine up curing is basicly cycling the rock as you put it in a tub and wait till you get a 0 reading on the test kit to sum it up so the same as cycling a tank. Every time you take rock out and exspose it to air you will kill some of the stuff in it and end up with a mini cycle. I would keep the lighting to a minimal as it will just give the algea fuel to grow. Here is a acrtical that I have read on curing and found useful. http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/liverockberlinsetups/ht/ht_curelrinaq.htm Hope that helps.

thanks for all your help and the article link...much appreciated