So How Many Water Changes In The First Month....

[Tiger Tiger]

for a new set up.
It's stupid but i have forgotten

Sorry?

 

[doresy]

More information required.....

Are you doing a cycle (with or without fish) or is it already cycled?

 

[Colin_T]

as many as are required to keep the ammonia and nitrite at a safe level for any inhabitants.

 

[Tiger Tiger]

I have always cycled the tank with nutrafin cycle etc and left it totally alone for 2 weeks then introduced a couple of fish every month therafter until i get to my stock level which will always be under the reccommended amount of fish below the tank capacity.No all about levels in Nitrite etc etc i just can't remember that innitial water changes on a new tank

Its a 4ft 180 L tank.

Memory like a ruddy Goldfish....Whoops sorry

 

[OldMan47]

I think you already have your answer from Colin T. It will be whatever numbner it takes to keep your fish safe from ammonia and nitrites. A typical value would be maybe 30% daily but you might get by with a bit less if you took the time and effort to test your chemistry. The 2 weeks with nothing in the tank is a waste of time. You either need to do a fishless cycle which will start the day you have some ammonia and a test kit or do a fish-in cycle which will start the day you add your first fish. The fish-in cycle will take a bit longer because you will need to keep the levels down in your tank water to let the fish live. This means the bacteria won't grow quite as fast. In a fishless setup, you can leave higher ammonia levels in your tank and even high nitrite levels and not harm any fish so it takes a lot less water changes. There is a sticky at the top of this forum for fishless cycling and it is what most of us would suggest. There is a link in my signature for doing a fish-in cycle because lots of people don't or won't read the article on a fishless cycle. Those people need a rescue and that's why the link.

 

[Corleone]

I have always cycled the tank with nutrafin cycle etc and left it totally alone for 2 weeks then introduced a couple of fish every month

Leaving the tank set for 2 weeks doesn't do anything. Nutrafin cycle is unreliable at best. Basically, this is a fish-in cycle, which even with few fish would likely mean a daily water change, but at least not the huge changes many people need. The slow stocking helps, but

Review this thread:
http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...shless-Cycling/

Afterwards, you can put a good fraction of the tank capacity immediately without anything beyond normal weekly water changes, and have a full stocking after around 6 months if you're conservative.