Skimmer in New Tank?!?

[aaronuflaw]

I just started a new tank a week ago. It is a 20 gallon tank with 21 lbs of live rock and 20 lbs of live sand. I also have a Coralife Superskimmer 65 on it.

I was expecting my ammonia to register by now, but it has not as of yet. All the rock was uncured. My question is ehther a skimmer might delay or slow down the cycling process in a new tank. I have got a lot of gunk in the skimmer and a lot of dead stuff on the rock, but 0 ammonia.

Any thoughts.

 

[jojo22]

Turn off the skimmer and wait. Also if you are still getting a 0 at that point take a water sample to the LFS just to check and make sure your tests are good. If you still have no spike then toss in a frozen (or thawed) cocktail shrimp as that should kick start you on your way.

 

[Germanman]

skimmers pull out proteins, organic waste, and some fatty acids. so maybe it isnt leaving enough organic matter from the die off for the bacteria to get up and going. have you tested nitrates?

 

[rockethippo]

So... uhh... should you have a skimmer when cycling or not? Will the skimmer slow things down? By the way I'm new

 

[Germanman]

i know and welcome! it doesnt matter much but most people urn it off during the cycle...i dont really cycle tanks i do my own thing.

 

[rockethippo]

Your own thing?

 

[5xevy]

If I'm curing rock I leave it on. If I'm cycling and have already cured rock I don't turn it on until after its cycled.

By the way, welcome to AC!

 

[rockethippo]

Awesome thanks!.... Can you answer my other thread with the title eclipse hood? If you can't it's ok thanks anyways.

 

[Germanman]

Your own thing?

its too hard to explane in words really just some things ive developed form being a bio major and all the years of research ive done about aquariums i can cut corners that actually make things better in the long run.