Am I Changing Too Much?

[memder]

Hi, I have a new 10g tank and just start cycling.

I know I should do a water change when ammonia and nitrite is not zero. But to keep the reading on zero, I found out I have to change a lot of water everyday.

Usually in the moring, the ammonia is 0.5mg and nitrite is 0.25 mg. After a water change of 3 gallons, the mitrite is 0 and ammonia is 0.25 (I use Prime, so I suppose the 0.25 ammonia reading after water change is actually ammonium, and leave it alone).

In the later afternoon/evening, the ammonia is 0.5mg and nitrite is 0.25 gain. So I need to do another water change of 3 gallons. I am doing a water change of 6 gallons per day.

A lot of people say that too much water change is not good and the cycling process will never complete. But without that much water change, my fish will die.

what should I do?

Thanks a ton.

 

[rabbut]

It is not possible to change too much water, in fact waterchanges may actualy make the cycle complete quicker

Thaough you are changing 6 gallons by volume, you are in fact only doing the equivilant of 4.5 in a single change. This is because polutants are diluted by the first, so less is removed at the next one.

It is near enough 50%, so fine for a tank, in fact for a cycling tank, that is unusualy small amounts

All the best, and good luck with the cycle
Rabbut

 

[SJ2K]

Reduce feeding if possible and just keep changing that water

 

[memder]

Hiahiahia......I am going back to do the change now!

Thanks!