Are water changes required when all levels are good?

No, if you don't need to keep your pH, calcium, and other minerals to a certain level for your inhabitants.

Kim

gonzo said:

I have a 55 Gal tank with about 50 lbs cured of LR. The tank has been running for about 10 weeks now and the tank has yet to cycle. Is it possible the LR has reduced ammonia levels already and has sufficient helpful bacteria?

I also have a modest clean up crew consisting of several blue leg hermits and Astrea snails, along with a red star and emerald crab. All appear to be doing just fine. My main question is are bi-weekly or weekly water changes required even if my ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels are at zero?

Thanks

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When i set up my reef tank 3 years ago, I used a lot of quality cured live rock, and it never spiked - that's how good live rock is for a tank. You may want to let the tank run a little longer before any water changes, as long as your readings are good. The fact that your cleanup crew is doing well is a good sign that you are on the right path. Then as you slowly increase your bioload, begin with very modest water changes (10-15%) every few weeks. As time goes on, keep monitoring regularly - You may get a few algae blooms here and there over the first few months - don't freak, just increase the frequency of your water changes and readjust slowly. Good Luck!

Point 1- yes , it's entirely possible, infact I'd go so far to say that it's more likely than not with cured rock from the lfs

Point 2 - yes. You aren't testing for Ca, alk, or any number of other trace elements that noone tests for, let alone DOC, humic acids, excereted hormones and so on.

The nitrogen cycle is important but not the be all of water changes.