New Cycling tanks question

[morphiii]

Do I need to run a protein skimmer when the tank is cycling? It has been cycling little over 2 weeks.

I put some turbo snails into the aquarium and they all died, my ammonia spiked and stayed there for the past few days.

I also have 2 scarlet leg hermit that are doing well in this toxic environment.

I tried using bacteria culture but the ammonia level is still pretty high.

I used stress coat and ammo lock, but have not tested for nitrate.


Do I need a skimmer?

I have a 30 gallon tank with 30 lbs of live rock and some base rock.

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

a skimmer would help.

just leave the tank be for another3-6 weeks till all yor reading get to 0 for 1 week straight, then start adding your clean up crew. do not add anything till the tank has cycled.

[welcome]

 

[morphiii]

I am getting some whitish bug in my tank.

Looks like underwater termites.

There are a lot of them. About 50 to 60.

Are these copepods or something?

 

[morphiii]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13013769#post13013769 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kau_cinta_ku
a skimmer would help.

just leave the tank be for another3-6 weeks till all yor reading get to 0 for 1 week straight, then start adding your clean up crew. do not add anything till the tank has cycled.

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

Thanks for the advice.

I love your handle.

Does that mean you love me?

Are you Malaysian or Indonesian or something?

Just curious.

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

the termite looking things are most likley pods.

as for my handle it is indonesian, that is where my wife is from. although I am just a white guy from the cornfields of iowa

you speak indo or are you from around there?

 

[morphiii]

I am from Malaysia originally, Indonesians and Malaysians are similar languages.

Actually my sister in law is from Indonesia.

How did you ended up marrying someone from so far away?

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

the power of the internet

I actually met her on yahoo chat and when she came over from Indo to visit her sister in Tn. that is when we finally met. been happily married for 5 years now.

 

[morphiii]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13024928#post13024928 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kau_cinta_ku
the power of the internet

I actually met her on yahoo chat and when she came over from Indo to visit her sister in Tn. that is when we finally met. been happily married for 5 years now.

That's amazing.


I have another noob question,

How long does the ammonia spike last?

I have some green/yellowish algae growing in the live rock, should I let them grow or turn off the light for a few days?

If I kill off the algae won't that stop the nitrogen cycle?


Confused.