# Newbie needs advice - brand new tank, to water change or not to water change?



## Hannah (20 Apr 2021)

Hi everyone,

So I spent the weekend setting up my new 310l tank that will eventually house discus, but I've read conflicting things about water changes. On the fishkeeping side of things I've heard from several experienced discus keepers that you should not carry out water changes at all until the filter is fully cycled, as removing ammonia/nitrates from the water column can cause the cycle to crash altogether. However, just about every aquascaping resource I've looked at - including GFs' book - it says to carry out large water changes every day to begin with. I've used Flora Base Pro as my planting medium and the tank contains lots of anubias, mosses, java ferns, amazon swords and vallis.

Help - what do I do?!


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## Nick potts (20 Apr 2021)

Large daily water changes for me.

On tanks with no plants i would not do water changes until the tank had cycled


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## dw1305 (20 Apr 2021)

Hi all,


Hannah said:


> On the fishkeeping side of things I've heard from several experienced discus keepers that you should not carry out water changes at all until the filter is fully cycled, as removing ammonia/nitrates from the water column can cause the cycle to crash altogether


Have a look at <"Dr Timothy Hovanec's comments about Bacterial supplements">. It summarises <"where were are now">, and just emphasises how much the <"past is a different country">.


Nick potts said:


> On tanks with no plants i would not do water changes until the tank had cycled


This is the <"Mbuna scenario">, as soon as you have plants things are very different. I'm never going to try to <"keep fish again without plants">, plants really are <"the gift that keeps giving">. Even if you keep herbivorous fish you can use planted trickle filters etc.  to physically separate fish and plant.


Hannah said:


> I've used Flora Base Pro as my planting medium and the tank contains lots of anubias, mosses, java ferns, amazon swords and vallis.


Perfect, don't <"add any ammonia">, <"add a floating plant"> and change some water.  Personally I add _Ceratopteris thalictroides_ (often available at Pets@Home) and Amazon Frogbit (_Limnobium laevigatum_), but I'm a <"Frogbitaholic">.

cheers Darrel


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