Water change and the cycling process?

[jjorama]

During the cycling of the aquarium, do I need to change the water on a weekly basis even though the nitrate levels are still at zero? My ammonia is rising slowly as well as my nitrite levels. So far. It is my understanding that the weekly water change is to lower your nitrate levels.

[KLKelly]

Are you fishless cycling?  If you are fishless cycling I wouldn't do a water change until Nitrates show up.

If you have fish what are these numbers:
PH
Ammonia (can get toxic depending on ph and temp)
NitrIte (toxic to fish)
Temperature
Nitrates - obviously at zero.

Karrie

[PrincessFish]

Any water change will lower all levels because you're basically adding sterile water in place of water that has 'levels'.  So, if you change 25% of the water you would lower the levels of anything by approximately 25%.  If your levels of anything are reaching toxic levels then it is best to water change.  It may cause the cycle to take 'slightly' longer because of course you'll be lowering the levels of the good bacteria too but given that you are allowing your fish to be less stressed I think this is a good thing.

[jjorama]

I have four fishes ( 2 guppies and 2 dwarf gourami).
My pH is 7.4 -7.5, my ammonia is 4, my nitrite is .05 and water temp is 79. The fishes do not look stress, no erratic behaviour  and areeating well.

[KLKelly]

Ammonia is well above toxic levels.  I would do a number of large water changes.... 50% a day to get ammonia down.  Please take a look at  this page which outlines ammonia toxicity.
http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/AmmoniaTox.html
Please also read up on cycling.  I learned the hard way - my fish got ammonia burns because of cycling.
Here's the article I learned from:
]http://thegab.org/Articles/WaterQualityCycling.html[url][/url]

I've never had either fish.  I wonder if it would be beneficial to add aquarium salt to protect against nitrite poisoning.

I would feed your fish sparingly and keep up on large water changes.

Adding Prime would detox only up to .6 of ammonia - still would be above toxic levels without water changes.

[BigDaddy]

KLKelly is correct.  Your ammonia is dangerously high.  Several small water changes will keep fish stress levels down while decreasing the ammonia in the tank.

Yes, water changes will stall your cycle to an extent.  But as you have fish in the tank, you need to do water changes to maintain a healthy environment for them.

Can you borrow some filter media from someone else... this will speed up your cycle.

[jjorama]

Thanks for the info, I just completed another water test, ammonia is 4, and nitrite is rising from .5 to 1. Nitrate is still at zero. I will do a water change, and after add some salt. Any other tips? 

[PrincessFish]

Just keep changing your water daily (or even twice daily if you are doing only 15% or so) until you get your levels within safe range.  Then continue to test daily and change water whenever the levels threaten to approach toxic levels.  If you have the Hagen test kits all the info is in the little booklets.  Don't let ammonia go over 0.6 and don't let nitrites go over 0.3.  During my cycle (25 g. with 4 tetras and 1 cory and plants) I kept the levels at or below those numbers and everything was just fine.

Good luck!