Every time you do a water change you delay the cycling. I just set up a 75 gal tank on 12/24. My lfs is very knowledgeable and they said the tank can take 1 1/2 months to cycle. I check the water every other day. I won't do any water changes unless the 6 fish in there are stressed due to high ammonia or nitrites. So far I haven't changed any water. The fish are doing great and I feed them very light and only once a day. So far the tank hasn't yet really started to cycle. I'm learning to be patient. The larger the tank the longer the cycling takes.
I hate to break it to you, but if a "knowledgeable" lfs td you that then they were knowledgeably trying to get you to kill fish in order to sell more. No reputable lfs would ever tell you that.Every time you do a water change you delay the cycling. I just set up a 75 gal tank on 12/24. My lfs is very knowledgeable and they said the tank can take 1 1/2 months to cycle. I check the water every other day. I won't do any water changes unless the 6 fish in there are stressed due to high ammonia or nitrites. So far I haven't changed any water. The fish are doing great and I feed them very light and only once a day. So far the tank hasn't yet really started to cycle. I'm learning to be patient. The larger the tank the longer the cycling takes.
I hate to break it to you, but if a "knowledgeable" lfs td you that then they were knowledgeably trying to get you to kill fish in order to sell more. No reputable lfs would ever tell you that.
This is true. Stay away from them, they are not knowledgeable at all. And to the OP, make sure to do your water changes to keep the stress low on your fish. Don't change filter pads... even after the tank is cycled. Get rid of the carbon and add mor bio media. It's a waste of space unless your removing meds from the water. Every couple months take the filter media out, give it a swish rinse in a bucket of discarded tank water and put it back in the filter. Replace them only when they fall apart. Too many people get caught in this endless money trap/cycle killing practice of replacing the filter media every month as the manufacturer suggest on the filter box, only to fill their coffers on your dime.
You may want to read this. It will explain the cycle better. Keep in mind that while this is a sale's pitch for the company's product, the science within it is what you are interested in using. Nitrifying Bacteria Facts
Hope this helps
Yes, it does ! Sounds like I really need to bump up the pH especially given my lower ambient tank temp.
Also, I am still interested in hearing what Jmunroe meant, when they suggested ditching the carbon, and adding more "media". Not sure if you folks are referring to rocks or the sponge. My Fluval filter has a sponge, carbon, and rocks from the bottom to the top.
I think the sponge change is also what caused my slight cloudiness to get worse for a couple reasons. The first is the BB, but the second is how tight the filter is. My pool always filters better when the backpressure is high, and the sand is plugged. Less water goes through, but what does is "microfiltered". I assume the same thing happens with the sponge and it filters more when it's closed.