kevin95695
Member of the Registry
Any harm in firing up the skimmer during the cycle? I have heard (at the last MARS meet) that skimmer's aren't always necessary -- especially the first months.
What d'y'all think?
What d'y'all think?
Fire up the skimmer?
- Thread starter kevin95695
- Start date
dots
Premium Member
Run it 24/7
Your cycle is a progression that will take a while to finish regardless, and will go through a maturation process that takes up to a year.
There is enough nutrients in a tank regardless if you have a skimmer running or not and it will not affect the cycling.
Time is what you need more than anything and what will hurt you the most if you don't wait long enough before you start adding stuff.
Get it running and forget about it for a month.
Your cycle is a progression that will take a while to finish regardless, and will go through a maturation process that takes up to a year.
There is enough nutrients in a tank regardless if you have a skimmer running or not and it will not affect the cycling.
Time is what you need more than anything and what will hurt you the most if you don't wait long enough before you start adding stuff.
Get it running and forget about it for a month.
kevin95695
Member of the Registry
Heading out to the garage...
Avalanche Wolf
New member
Oh like that is even POSSIBLE for the strongest of reefers
Nothing worse ( besides seeing a tank crash ) is watching a tank you can't add anything to
Keep strong Kevin , you can always come over and play with mine if the urge gets too much :lol:
dots
Premium Member
Oh I have been playing and experimenting with my nano cube and have nearly crashed it three times, just to see how far it will go. My girlfriend was chatting with me the other day as I poured a tablespoon of sugar out of the box without paying attention.
Currently, its a blank piece of paper waiting for inspiration to strike......I am kinda wanting a tank with a zoanathid carpet with a couple of frogspawn.....very ala Alice in Worderland.
no bioload=no maintenence
Currently, its a blank piece of paper waiting for inspiration to strike......I am kinda wanting a tank with a zoanathid carpet with a couple of frogspawn.....very ala Alice in Worderland.
no bioload=no maintenence
Avalanche Wolf
New member
Better with the nano than the 75 for sure !
kevin95695
Member of the Registry
I hear y'all. I tried to fit the skimmer but found a couple of leaks. Addressing the problem and will try to re-fit when materials have cured. Is there any problem with using ABS plastic hose clamps in a reef setup? I didn't think it'd be cool to use the metal screw down type. Thanks.
kevin95695
Member of the Registry
Yep. That's why I balked. I'd rather go with plastic cuz I can't quality control the entire makeup of the metal ones.
MrMikeB
New member
Hey Kev,
I used metal hose clamps (like the ones you get a Home Depot) and barbed fittings with vinyl tube. Did not lose a drop of water with that setup. I have since moved in to the cool kids club and use unions and PVC, but I do miss the flexibility of vinyl hose.
Personally I cannot stand those plastic clamp deals. I could never get a tight enough seal with them, and never trusted them to stay on.
I used metal hose clamps (like the ones you get a Home Depot) and barbed fittings with vinyl tube. Did not lose a drop of water with that setup. I have since moved in to the cool kids club and use unions and PVC, but I do miss the flexibility of vinyl hose.
Personally I cannot stand those plastic clamp deals. I could never get a tight enough seal with them, and never trusted them to stay on.
MrMikeB
New member
I would like to comment on the skimmer use during cycling.
I was under the school of thinking (could be a school of one), that skimming during the initial cycle was not a good thing. The idea of skimming is to take out the bad stuff in the water that can lead to elevated ammonia levels. The idea of cycling is to develop a biological filter for your system, which need ammonia to start the cycle. So it seems skimming up front would reduce the effectiveness of the cycling process.
Also given the massive water change at the end of the cycle, most of what you were/were not skimming would be removed anyhow, so it begs the question, why skim during this phase?
I was under the school of thinking (could be a school of one), that skimming during the initial cycle was not a good thing. The idea of skimming is to take out the bad stuff in the water that can lead to elevated ammonia levels. The idea of cycling is to develop a biological filter for your system, which need ammonia to start the cycle. So it seems skimming up front would reduce the effectiveness of the cycling process.
Also given the massive water change at the end of the cycle, most of what you were/were not skimming would be removed anyhow, so it begs the question, why skim during this phase?
kevin95695
Member of the Registry
On the metal/plastic: I'm only talking about the ones that are on the itty bitty pump in my sump that feeds the skimmer. Everything that's not submerged is eventually going to be SS.
kevin95695
Member of the Registry
MikeB on not skimming during cycle: Exactly my point. I believe that trying to lower your fever only prolongs your sickness. The fever (while uncomfortable) is what is actually killing the sickness. Are you with me?
dots
Premium Member
If you find a skimmer that is so efficent as to remove all nutrients, let me know because I want one. Buying large overrated skimmers is what a lot of SPS guys do.....but they are far from 100% effective.
Understanding exactly what is going on in the cycle I think is the confusion. There is an excess of nutrients breaking down causing ammonia (from LR dieoff most of the time) and there is not enough bacteria to turn it into nitrite and then nitrate. It only takes a little ammonia to do grow this culture initially, and as the tank is stocked the population of bacteria is increased in mini cycles especially when fish are added, so your "cycle" isn't really complete until you have added all of your livestock/bioload. If one has a bunch of ammonia and grows this huge colony and it eats and converts all of the ammonia, the biolgical filter..........crashes........that what a crash is, the biological system is not balanced with the food source and can't keep up, the buildup of ammonia kills one fish which leads to another and exponetially worse until everything is dead. In other words, 5 million pizzas for 5 million people one day, and then 500 pizzas the next day for 5 million people......in the end, you have 500 people.........so what was the point of having all the addional pizza to begin with?.......That is what the skimmer is doing, taking out the food that is going to go to waste anyway.
But in reality, when you have a new tank you need to get use to the equipment and how tune it in before you start really adding stuff and risk a potential problem then, as seen here. That is what is most important.
Regardless if skimming effects the dwell time of the cycle is null, because the system has to achieve a balance and the skimmer is part of that system. Getting the system operational and running under normal conditions is what is most important.
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