OK, really, really dumb question...

[cleopatraa88]

but I have to ask. I have read all about how to do maintenance on SW tanks and I've got a pretty good handle on things so far, thanks to some really good books, a few websites and you guys. My simple as can be question is this: Am I supposed to be doing weekly water changes (my method of choice over monthly) during the cycling process or not? Everything seems to talk about that as maintenance but I have read a few sentences that seem to suggest not doing that during cycling, but it was vague. Also, I have read ambiguous things about whether to run a protein skimmer during cycling or not. What's your take on that? Why wouldn't you run it, what's the benefit of not running it? Thanks, guys!

 

[OrionGirl]

How are you cycling? If you are using live rock, you'll want to perform water changes to prevent the ammonia levels from killing the hitch hiking critters. If you have no live rock or sand, just base rock and using cocktail shrimp for an ammonia source, there's no reason to do water changes--the ammonia won't kill what's not there, and it's unlikely that you'll have a spike big enough to inhibit bacterial growth.

On skimmers--similar philoshophy. If there's something alive in the tank, anything you can do to improve water conditions will increase it's odds of surviving.

 

[cleopatraa88]

Thanks so much! Yes, I do have live rock, so I guess it's time for a water change. Live sand, also. My protein skimmer is up and running, so I'm glad that I don't have to unplug it now. I still don't think I have totally figured out this protein skimmer and I'm getting a little frustrated with it. It's a Prizm HOB, and it just sucks the water in through a valve, then it goes into the "reaction chamber", then a "dry foam" is supposed to fill up in the collector cup. Well, the first week that I ran it I didn't notice the word "dry" when they described the foam and my collector cup had dirty water in it when it was emptied, so I thought that it was working right. When I emptied it again and cleaned it real good, then seated it back on, I started seeing this foam rising, so I read the directions again, then noticed the dry foam part. I thought, Oh, OK, this is what it was SUPPOSED to be doing, so I let it run. Of course, I went to empty it today and nothing was in it at all, so I don't think that was right either. You would think this would be simple since the darn thing has exactly one valve on it to control the flow and no other settings! I have no idea what I'm doing wrong or what it exactly is supposed to do or how I get it to do it! Uggghhhhhh! Every other piece of equipment has gone very well, so this is pretty frustrating. :mad2

 

[OrionGirl]

Actually, that sounds about right. Initially, it takes a week or so for a skimmer to break in--can't specify what this entails, but it's proven true by just about everyone who sets one up. They run goofy for a week or so. Now, it sounds like it's running correctly, you just don't have a lot of dissolved protiens in the water for it to be removing. With rock and sand present, this is true--not many hitch hikers will produce the wastes that the skimmer can remove. Once additional critters are added--fish, corals, etc--you'll start noticing skimmate scum buildling up in the cup.