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Once I am done cycling do I need to do a water change? If so how much %? And when should I replace the filter ( how long after I put my fish in)?

Just do a water change now, about 25%. Check your water parmaters to make sure its okay and add fish stock slowing maybe 2-3 every 2 weeks depending on the tank size and species. The filter should be fine now as it will be finally colonized with good bacteria, the most you could do is just rinse the sponge in tank water. Keep checking the water parameters after the new fish are added to keep on top of any ammonia spikes.

Hi,
Think of a water change as your equivalent to a heavy
rain. Water evaporates, and you top it off. But that
process alone, will concentrate the toxins and minerals
in the water. Regularly draining off 10 to 20% of the
tank and replacing it, dilutes the concentrations and
is the same as a good soaking rain.

In the average tank of today, it should be done either
weekly, biweekly, or at least, monthly. How often
should depend upon the fish load. The greater the
load, the more frequent the water change.
However, practically speaking, it usually depends on
the free time of the fish keeper.

JTF, has some good points. With a newly cycled tank,
as you add fish, the bacterial colony has to expand to
take up the increased fish waste. There can be a couple
of days to a week in lag between the increase of ammonia
and the colony growth, so don't "dump" a bunch of fish
in at a time. Tetra size is fine, but 3-8 inch fish
should go slowly, or you are in effect, mini cycling the
tank again.

My main point was to reinforce the need to do water
changes in the tank. It is absolutely necessary in
our tanks. Unless, your tank is one of the low tech
nature tanks, and very few of us have them.

Frank


[span class="edited"][Edited by FRANK 2004-07-25 10:36][/span]

[span class="edited"][Edited by FRANK 2004-07-25 10:39][/span]

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