150 gal tank build

[FishyFishy!]

I've always started with sand in the tank. Can't really see any benefit to not having the sand in there to start, because when you end up putting it in, there will have to be another mini-cycle all over again.

[subman]

+1 what would be the reason for adding sand after?

[Delphinus]

If I'm starting a tank from scratch I don't bother with a water change until after ammonia and nitrite read zero. For that matter I don't even bother testing ammonia ... I would test nitrite. The initial cycle is complete when nitrite reads zero.

The way I understand this ... the bacteria that feed on ammonia (and nitrite) grow in population proportional to the amount of resources that they feed on. The more food, the more they reproduce producing more bacteria to eat more ammonia. So reducing ammonia by doing a water change doesn't really help speed the cycle along, in fact it might even slow it down some. Of course, once they reach critical mass (the point at which they consume it faster than it is produced, giving you a zero reading), unless there is a continued source for the resources, they will start to die off so you need to ramp up the ammonia production by getting some life into the tank at that point.

[Aquattro]

You can add before or after, with after being a lot tougher and messier. No reason not to add it before, then try to not disturb it too much adding water.