drip system up an running. am i changing too much water?

[mos90]

i finally got my drip system up and running on my 300g stingray-arowana tank. right now i have a 2gph drip emitter on so that translates to 15% waterchanges per day. the stingrays love to eat and can add up to some high nitrate levels. most guys that i know do at minimum 50% wc's a week.

do u think 15% a day could cause "mini cycles" ?
should i back off to 1gph?

right now for filtration i have 2 fx's,emporer 400 and 280, 1500ghh powerhead.

id love to hear form some stingray owners too.

right now i only have 2-6" retics and 3 -4" redtailed sharks in the tank but i plan to move my 15" silver arow over soon. and maybe my 3-6" scombs.

 

[flowerpower]

Is the water running straight from the tap? or is it passing through an r/o filter? if it's coming straight from the tap it could cause a problem, even though i doubt it.

 

[Pharaoh]

The water doesn't cause the tank to cycle, the chemicals in the water will. If you have taken the proper precautions to ensure that the chemicals are removed from the water, then you should be fine.

 

[mos90]

i am running the water though 2 10" housings with matrix carbon filters. i have only clorine to worry about, no chloramine.

i switched from a single whirpool carbon filter.

so i should be ok at the 2gph setting?

ive been adding 1 capfull of prime a day just to make sure. but the water out of the filters showed no signs of chlorine.

 

[Pharaoh]

You should be fine.

 

[poly-nomial]

I personally think you should higher the amount changed.

 

[mos90]

water is perfect at this point. nice and "crispy".

ammo-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-5
ph 6.6
temp 81

id like to see the nitrates with the drip system stay below 5.

i have pretty soft water so ph likes to drop. its around 50 ppm.
it seems to settle in around 6.5. id like to find a natural way to keep it at 6.8-7.0.

 

[poly-nomial]

Very good

 

[mos90]

i was told to add pictures.

 

[Pharaoh]

Nice job!