Water Changes

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Carpentersreef

We spend many agonizing weeks waiting for our newly set-up tanks to "cycle", allowing the bacterial populations to build up and equalize, then we drain it out and replace it with sterile water, which throws the bacteria balance out of whack again, and if the water changes are too large or too frequent, the tank could possibly mini-cycle, causing an ammonia spike.

Mitch, I can't answer your question with any proof, but as a side note, the amount of bacteria in the water column is insignificant with regards to the N cycle. All the bacteria you need are in and on the surfaces present in the system. I can do a 100% water change and not get a NH3 spike.